Right Speech.

We are beings who are able to speak a lot. 

We can express every thought, mood, feeling and emotion and paint a picture for the world. This is why the words we chose are very important both to ourselves and others.

In short, the language we use determines our relationship to the situation we are experiencing.

Politicians, public speakers and the media know this very well and so they use a form of language that is designed to instil fear and a specific reaction, and it is through fear that we can be controlled.

But that deliberate attempt to paint a dramatic and fear-based picture is in the end shallow and so needs to be maintained.

According to government and medical spokesmen and women we are now in a global crisis with the spreading of the Corona virus. This is a serious situation that we cannot deny.

But the word 'crisis' implies a complete lack of control on our part, and that lack of control cultivates a fearful reaction as we have already seen with people panic buying to the point of pushing down and trampling on others to get what they want.

However, if we change our language, we change our relationship to the situation.

The moment we use inflammatory words such as crisis and pandemic we feel helpless and so lose our sense of balance in our intimate, social and work relationships. Now we will react without any thought further than that of the moment.

But when we speak simply about the situation we are experiencing, our response is different being more open and empowering and therefore much more liberating from the heavy weight and darkness of fear.

We still have to take care with ourselves and others, to follow the medical advice that is given, to self-isolate if necessary but no longer from a position of fear but of from one of a loving self-compassion and mutual caring.

The Buddha said that Right Speech should be honest and accurate, not divisive or abusive, calming and not dramatic. When we use this form of speech internally to ourselves and externally to others, we will see the reality of the situation and our place in it rather being caught up in what is often the manipulative drama presented by others.

This is a sincere reflection for all of us.

When we change the way we speak about a subject we change our relationship to it. We go from being victims with no control to participants doing that which is necessary to help and be kind to ourselves and all beings.

May all beings be healthy.

May all beings be happy.