Good Talk

Part III in a Series on the Five Conditions for ReleaseWhen the business of the fall gets loud, I step outside and let the cold air blow the nonsense out of my head. If the moon is out, even better. It provides quiet, simple company. This week's dharma talk is about the kind of talk that is like the cold wind and the steady moon.The Buddha named ten kinds of good talk, from wanting little to staying out of drama, and I share about the people who've offered it to me — from my dad's sermons on the simplicity of Hondas to my uncle, Jack Kornfield, and the day his teacher Ajahn Chah pointed at a boulder and asked if it was heavy.This was recorded at the Riverside Meditation Community. We meet again this coming Sunday at 9 AM at the Brookmont Church, 4000 Virginia Place, Brookmont, MD.Texts & references: The ten kinds of talk that ripen the release of the heart — Meghiya Sutta (Udāna 4.1, suttacentral.net/ud4.1; also AN 9.3) · Brahmā Sahampati urges the Buddha to teach — Āyācana Sutta (SN 6.1, suttacentral.net/sn6.1) · "Enough, let that be" — the actor Talapuṭa's question (SN 42.2, suttacentral.net/sn42.2) · Teaching in the listener's own language — Araṇavibhaṅga Sutta (MN 139, suttacentral.net/mn139) · Jack Kornfield on studying with Wing-tsit Chan and Ajahn Chah · Ajahn Chah and the boulder · Ledi Sayadaw, Sayagyi U Ba Khin, Mahasi Sayadaw, Sayadaw U Tejaniya, Tara BrachThis week's practice: Notice a boulder you've picked up that isn't yours to carry. Then notice who in your life offers the kind of talk that helps you set it down.Photo by Alexis Antonio on Unsplash