We need to be prudent with the things we say and our Expressions.

 

187. We need to be prudent with our talk and Expressions: Not everything we say is always suited for the occasion or a timely utterance for those who are listening. We need to be prudent and cautious with our words and expressions; great harm can come from a lax expression or an unsuitable statement.  Judaism: Proverbs 15:23 “A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!” Proverbs 15:28 “The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things.”  

BAHA’I FAITH: “Not everything that a man knoweth can be disclosed, nor can everything that he can disclose be regarded as timely, nor can every timely utterance be considered as suited to the capacity of those who hear it.”  

(Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu’l-Baha, p. 268) 

 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) 

 JUDAISM: Proverbs 29:11 “A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.” Proverbs 29:20 “Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? there is more hope of a fool than of him.” Ecclesiastes 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.” Ecclesiastes 10:12 “The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.” Amos 5:13 “Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time.” We need to learn to be prudent in what we say and guarded in our speech, for the fool blurts out words without thinking, while the prudent man thinks before he speaks. How will his words sound, is what he has got to say suited to the ears of the people he is speaking to, for there is: Ecclesiastes 3:7 “a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;” if a person wants to demonstrate wisdom in their actions.  Christianity: Colossians 4:6 “Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” 1 Timothy 6:4 “He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,” 1 Timothy 6:5 “Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such with-draw thyself.” 1 Thessalonians 2:5 “For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness:” 2:6 “Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ.” Ephesians 4:29 “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” Ephesians 4:30 “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” 

BAHA’I FAITH: “One word is like unto springtime causing the tender saplings of the rose-garden of knowledge to become verdant and flourishing, while another word is even as a deadly poison. It behoveth a prudent man of wisdom to speak with utmost leniency and forbearance so that the sweetness of his words may induce everyone to attain that which befitteth man’s station.”  

          (Bahá’í Faith, Baha’u’llah, Tablets of Baha’u’llah, p. 173)  

 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) 

 ISLAM: 148. “Allah (God) loveth not that evil should be noised abroad in public speech, except where injustice hath been done; for Allah is He who heareth and knoweth all things.”  

          (The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah   4) 

Islam: “The Prophet said, ‘Allah has forbidden for you, (1) to be undutiful to your mothers, (2) to bury your daughters alive, (3) to not to pay the rights of the others (e.g. charity, etc.) and (4) to beg of men (begging). And Allah has hated for you (1) vain, useless talk, or that you talk too much about others, (2) to ask too many questions, (in disputed religious matters) and (3) to waste the wealth (by extravagance).”’  

          (Islam, Hadith, Bukhari Vol 3, Book 41, # 591)  

 ZOROASTRIANISM: 14. “As an offering Zarathushtra brings the life of his own body, the choiceness of good thought, action, and speech, unto Mazda (God), unto the Right, Obedience, and Dominion.” 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 – Yasnas 33 and 35)

 Zoroastrianism: Denkard. Zoroaster, “Be it known that, he is prudent among men who abstains from uttering and committing the sin that has occurred to his mind.”

 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.” 10. “That man is called a (true) tridandin in whose mind these three, the control over his speech (vagdanda), the control over his thoughts (manodanda), and the control over his body (kayadanda), are firmly fixed.” 11. “That man who keeps this threefold control (over himself) with respect to all created beings and wholly subdues desire and wrath, thereby assuredly gains complete success.” 

          (Hindu, Laws of Manu chapter 12) 

 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)) 

 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)

BAHA’I FAITH: “Every word is endowed with a spirit, therefore the speaker or expounder should carefully deliver his words at the appropriate time and place, for the impression which each word maketh is clearly evident and perceptible. The Great Being saith: One word may be likened unto fire, another unto light, and the influence which both exert is manifest in the world. Therefore an enlightened man of wisdom should primarily speak with words as mild as milk, that the children of men may be nurtured and edified thereby and may attain the ultimate goal of human existence which is the station of true understanding and nobility. And likewise He saith: One word is like unto springtime causing the tender saplings of the rose-garden of knowledge to become verdant and flourishing, while another word is even as a deadly poison. It behoveth a prudent man of wisdom to speak with utmost leniency and forbearance so that the sweetness of his words may induce everyone to attain that which befitteth man’s station.”

(Baha’u’llah, Tablets of Baha’u’llah, p. 172)