Speak not unwisely, use discretion.

 

216. Speak not unwisely, use discretion in your speech and actions and remember you are in the presents of God: Baha’i Faith: “Be thou not sad, for God is near to thee.” (Bahá’í Faith, Tablets of Abdu’l-Baha v3, p. 557) In the Bahá’í Faith we are cautioned to speak wisely and to refrain from excess speech. We are encouraged to use our head and think about what we are going to say before we say it. That way many feelings can be spared the hurt of foolish words and misunderstandings can be limited much of the time.

BAHA’I FAITH: “The spiritually learned must be characterized by both inward and outward perfections; they must possess a good character, an enlightened nature, a pure intent, as well as intellectual power, brilliance and discernment, intuition, discretion and foresight, temperance, reverence, and a heartfelt fear of God.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha, The Secret of Divine Civilization, p. 33)

This is also true of Christianity, if one cares to look for it in the bible; and is also true of the other God fearing religions.  Judaism: Isaiah 28:23 “Give ye ear, and hear my voice; hearken, and hear my speech.” Isaiah 28:26 “For his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him.” Isaiah 50:7 “For The Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded and I know that I shall not be ashamed. He is near that justifieth me;” Proverbs 10:19 “In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.” Proverbs 10:31 “The mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdom: but the forward tongue shall be cut out.” Proverbs 10:32 “The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked speaketh forwardness.” Proverbs 21:23 “Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.” Ecclesiastics 5:2 “Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.”  Christianity: Matthew 15:16 “And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?” Matthew 15:17 “Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?” Matthew 15:18 “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.” Matthew 12:36 “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.” Matthew 12:37 “For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” James 3:6 “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.” James 3:13 “Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? Let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.” Acts 17:27 “That they should seek The Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though He be not far from every one of us:”

BAHA’I FAITH: “That seeker must, at all times, put his trust in God, must renounce the peoples of the earth, must detach himself from the world of dust, and cleave unto Him Who is The Lord of Lords. He must never seek to exalt himself above any one, must wash away from the tablet of his heart every trace of pride and vain-glory, must cling unto patience and resignation, observe silence and refrain from idle talk. For the tongue is a smoldering fire, and excess of speech a deadly poison. Material fire consumeth the body, whereas the fire of the tongue devoureth both heart and soul. The force of the former lasteth but for a time, whilst the effects of the latter endureth a century.” And know this! “We are closer to man than his life-vein.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Baha’u’llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah, pp. 185 and 264)

 BABI RELIGION: “Ye have been forbidden in the Bayan to enter into idle disputation and controversy, that perchance on the Day of Resurrection ye may not engage in argumentation, and dispute with Him Whom God shall make manifest.”

(The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 133)

 ISLAM: 15. “Behold, ye received it on your tongues, and said out of your mouths things of which ye had no knowledge; and ye thought it to be a light matter, while it was most serious in the sight of Allah (God). And why did ye not, when ye heard it, say – ‘It is not right of us to speak of this: Glory to Allah! this is a most serious slander!’ Allah doth admonish you, that ye may never repeat such (conduct), if ye are (true) Believers. And Allah makes the Signs plain to you: for Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom.”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah  24)

Islam: 186. “When my servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them); I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calleth on Me.”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah   2)

Islam: “Allah’s Apostle said, “Anybody who believes in Allah and the Last Day should not harm his neighbor, and anybody who believes in Allah and the Last Day should entertain his guest generously and anybody who believes in Allah and the Last Day should talk what is good or keep quiet. (i.e. abstain from all kinds of evil and dirty talk).”

(Islam, Hadith, Bukhari Vol 8)

Islam: “Lower your voices, for you are not calling a deaf or an absent one, but you are calling a Hearer Who is near and is with you.”

(Hadith, Bukhari Vol 5, Book 59, # 516)

Islam: “The Prophet used to forbid Qil and Qal (idle useless talk or that you talk too much about others).”

(Islam, Hadith, Bukhari Vol 9, Book 92, # 395)

Islam: 16. “It was We who created man and We know what dark suggestions his soul makes to him: for We are nearer to him than (his) jugular vein.”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah  50)

  ZOROASTRIANISM: 3. “Therefore, would we choose, O Ahura Mazda (God)! and thou, O Righteousness the beauteous! that we should think, and speak, and do those thoughts, and words, and deeds, among actual good thoughts, and words, and actions, which are the best for both the worlds;”

(The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Yasna 53)

 Zoroastrianism: 4. “I who by worship would keep far from Thee, O Mazda…..that is most near… and from the Right, wherein Mazda Ahura dwells. Him who has approached the nearest to us.”

(The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Yasnas 33 and 57)

 Zoroastrianism: 26. “O thou, my perishable body, think good thoughts with thy mind! O thou, my perishable body, speak good words with thy tongue! O thou, my perishable body, do good deeds with thy hands!“

(The Zend-Avesta, Avesta Fragments)

 Zoroastrianism: 6. “I, Ahura Mazda, brought it down with mighty vigor, for the Increase of the house, of the borough of the town, of the country, to keep them, to maintain them, to look over them, to keep and maintain them close.

(The Zend-Avesta, Khorda Avesta – Book of Common Prayer pt. 1)

 HINDUISM: 6. “Abusing (others, speaking) untruth, detracting from the merits of all men, and talking idly, shall be the four kinds of (evil) verbal action.”

(Hindu, Laws of Manu chapter 12)

 Hinduism: 13. “A wise man should keep down speech and mind; he should keep them within the Self which is knowledge; he should keep knowledge within the Self which is the Great; and he should keep that (the Great) within the Self which is the Quiet.”

(Hindu Upanishads vol. 2, Katha-Upanishad)

 Hinduism: 5. “Always near, the Lord (to us) of the past and the future, henceforward fears no more. This is that!”

(Hindu, Upanishads vol. 2, Katha-Upanishad)

 BUDDHISM: 17. “Guard against verbal unruliness. Be restrained in speech. Abandoning verbal wrong doing, lead a life of verbal well doing.” “The wise who are restrained in body, speech and mind – such are the well and truly restrained.”

(Buddhist, Dhammapada – Sayings of the Buddha 1 (tr. J. Richards))

 Buddhism: 20. “Be guarded in speech, restrained of mind and not doing anything wrong physically. Perfect these three forms of action, and fulfill the way taught by the sages.”

(Buddhist, Dhammapada – Sayings of the Buddha 1 (tr. J.Richards))

 Buddhism: “He speaks such words as are gentle, soothing to the ear, loving, going to the heart, courteous and dear, and agreeable to many. He avoids vain talk and abstains from it. He speaks at the right time, in accordance with facts, speaks what is useful, speaks about the law and the disciple; his speech is like a treasure, at the right moment accompanied by arguments, moderate, and full of sense.”

((The Eightfold Path), Buddha, the Word (The Eightfold Path))

 Buddhism: “Be aware of bodily anger and control your body. Let go of the body’s wrongs and practice virtue with your body. Be aware of the tongue’s anger and control your tongue. Let go of the tongue’s wrongs and practice virtue with your tongue. Be aware of the mind’s anger and control your mind. Let go of the mind’s wrongs and practice virtue with your mind. The wise who control their body, who control their tongue, the wise who control their mind are truly well controlled. That one is praised even by the gods, even by Brahma (God).” Who is ever close. “The one who is free from gullibility, who knows the Uncreated, who has severed all ties, removed all temptations, renounced all desires, is the greatest of people.”

(Buddhist, Dhammapada – Sayings of the Buddha 2 (tr. J. Richards))

 SABEANISM: “The…tongue….is….sharper than a sword.” (words inflict harm on others when evil passes out of the mouth, so refrain your tongue from speaking foolishness) (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapter 24)

Sabeanism: “Put far from us Thy wrath and bring near Thy mercy.” “Behold, here I stand! Behold, here I dwell! Worlds against whom I guard myself Though your words are not far from my face.” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapters 75 and 76)

 BABI RELIGION: “Withhold thy tongue from uttering that which might grieve thee and beseech God for mercy. Verily He is fully cognizant of the righteous, for He is with such of His servants as truly believe in Him, and He is not unaware of the actions of the mischief-makers, inasmuch as nothing whatever in the heavens or on the earth can escape His knowledge.”

(The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 162)

BAHA’I FAITH: “Let their speaking, let their inner state be summed up thus: Keep all my words of prayer and praise confined to one refrain; make all my life but servitude to Thee.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Selections from the Writings of Abdu’l-Baha, p. 93)

Baha’i Faith: “Everyone should utter that which is meet and seemly, and should refrain from slander, abuse and whatever causeth sadness in men.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Baha’u’llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 182)