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complex or like to 
pretend that everyone is equal: 
Those who think 
they are God's gift to the world. 
Such people will 
not profit from flowery speech. 
Sometimes they 
need to be shocked by the words 
they hear in 
order to change themselves for the 
better. 
2. Those whose mind is blinded to 
the virtues of 
the speaker by their lack of faith 
for that person: 
This is especially true if someone's 
mind is 
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still attached to practices that are 
diametrically 
opposed to the ones you are 
advocating. Thus 
you can speak flowery words until 
you are red 
in the face and they will still not be 
inspired by 
your words. Even so you must not 
give up trying 
to help such people! 
3. Those who are in the midst of 
depression: For 
such people, flowery words are of 
no more use 
than flute music to a buffalo. 
C.6 Praiseworthy Talk 
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In Buddhism, the most useful sort 
of talk istalk of 
virtue by one who exemplifies the 
virtue they are 
talking about. The Buddha taught 
that ten types of 
conversation which are 
praiseworthy are: 
1. one who wants little and talks on 
wanting little 
[appiccha]; 
2. one who is contented and talks 
on contentment 
[santuEEhi]; 
3. one who is loves seclusion and 
talks on seclusion 
[paviveka]; 
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4. one who loves solitude and talks 
on solitude 
[asaOsagga]; 
5. one who strives energetically 
and talks on energetic 
striving [viriya]; 
6. one who is self-disciplined and 
talks on selfdiscipline 
[sEla]; 
7. one who has attained 
concentration and talks 
on concentration [samAdhi]; 
8. one who has attained wisdom 
and talks on wisdom 
[pafifiA]; 
9. one who is has attained 
liberation and talks on 
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liberation [vimutti], and; 
10.one who is has attained seeing 
and knowing of 
liberation and talks on seeing and 
knowing of 
liberation [vimuttinAAadassana]. 
C. 7 Characteristics of a peace 
envoy 
One of the most useful 
applications of artful speech 
is to make the world a more 
peaceful place. Whenever 
there is conflict in society the 
reasons for people 
to do evil things are multiplied 
manyfold. If we 
ever have the opportunity to 
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encourage people to 
live together in peace and harmony 
it is something 
very meritorious for us to do. 
Anyone who is fitting 
to be an envoy of this sort should 
have eight 
characteristics which we should 
learn and train 
ourselves in so that we may be 
ready if ever we 
have the opportunity to take on this 
duty. In the 
future, no matter how many 
lifetimes we are born 
for we will always have friends 
and relatives who 
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are peaceful and harmonious: 
136 A Manual of Peace: 38 Steps 
towards Enlightened Living 
I. You must be able to listen to 
others opinions and 
not refuse their point of view: 
Some people like 
to hear only the sound of their own 
voice. They 
don't let others get a word in 
edgeways. Of 
course they can never find anyone 
to listen to 
them. Before becoming a good 
speaker you must 
train yourself to listen to other 
people first. 
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Whether what another person is 
saying is right 
or wrong, at least give them the 
chance to say 
what they have to say and in that 
way you will 
be able to pick up the jist of what 
they have to 
say. 
2. When you do speak, you must 
be able to capture 
your listener's attention and hold 
it: That doesn't 
mean just spending all your time 
listening to 
what others have to say but when it 
comes to 
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your turn to speak then you should 
see to it that 
what you are saying is listened to. 
Don"t go 
speaking in a way that is irritating 
so that no one 
can listen to you for long. 
3. Know how to set the boundaries 
for what you 
have to say to the minimum: If 
you are not able 
to limit the scope of what you have 
to say then it 
is like driving a cart along to chase 
a rabbit. This 
is what it is always like if the 
objective of what 
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you have to say is not clear. There 
will be no end 
to what you have to say. Political 
negotiations 
will go on for seven days and 
seven nights and 
still reach no conclusion. 
4. You must be able to remember 
what you have to 
say: Never use a forgetful person 
as your emissary. 
5. Understand the detail of 
everything you have to 
say: It is not enough simply to be 
able to memorize 
the details. 
6. Having the ability to make 
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others understand 
what you have to say: This really 
takes a lot of 
ability. You must be artful in the 
use of metaphor 
and artful speech. 
7. You must be skilled in selecting 
to say only useful 
things and cutting out the rest. 
8. By habit you must be someone 
who is not fond 
of starting arguments: Never send 
anyone with 
a short temper as your ambassador 
unless you 
are planning to start a war. 
Finally, in the words of the 
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Buddha 
"An ambassador is one who even 
in the company 
of the harsh-spoken, can remain 
unscathed 
and unruffled, makes no mistake in 
his 
use of words, doesn't conceal 
information, has 
the ability to alleviate the doubts of 
others and 
who is not angered by 
questioning." 
(Vin. Culavagga 7/201) 
C.8 Buddhist Principles of Public 
Speaking 
There are many different recipes 
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for success for public 
speaking in the world — including 
those of the 
Toastmasters or Carnegie, but in 
general, they do 
not have principles which deviate 
far from the principals 
already outlined above — except 
for aspects 
of the delivery. Buddhist 
principlesof public speaking 
emphasize the following 
components: 
I. Sound body: This includes all 
aspects of non-verbal 
communication 
2. Sound speech: This means 
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speech that is pleasant 
to the ears, eyes and mind of the 
listener: 
1. Being pleasant to the ear means 
possessing "Five 
Star" speech and includes the use 
of words, 
use of intonation and the rhythm of 
what is 
said. 
2. Being pleasant to the eye means 
the speaker having 
a pleasant personality and use of 
expression. 
3. Being pleasant to the mind 
includes appropriate 
choice of subject, being prepared, 
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having 
one's thoughts organized and 
structuring the 
speech into three parts: an 
introduction, main 
body and conclusion. 
3. Sound mind: Exemplifying the 
virtues which you 
talk about. 
Buddhist public speaking is not 
just talking to be 
understood or believed, but for the 
enjoyment and 
the inspiration of the listener to do 
good deeds. 
D. ILLUSTRATIVE 
EXAMPLES 
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D.1 Metaphor: A fish lives & dies 
because of its mouth 
A fish can have long life 
dependant on its mouth 
which it uses to feed. However, 
because the selfsame 
mouth and its greed for bait, it 
swallows the 
hook which brings its life to an 
end. In the same 
Blessing Ten: Artfulness in Speech 
137 
way, if we use our mouth for artful 
speech, it can 
bring us success and prosperity in 
life, but sometimes 
even a word of unwholesome 
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speech from 
the same mouth can cost us our 
lives. 
D.2 Metaphor: It is not just 
knowing the right thing to say 
A smart person is not a person who 
knows when to 
say the right thing 
they must 
also know when to 
keep their silence. A knowledge of 
the things not to 
be said is more important for an 
artful speaker, even 
more than a knowledge of the 
things to be said. 
D.3 Ex.: Condemned manwho 
said too much 
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The less you say, the less risk you 
run of saying 
something foolish, even 
dangerous. In 1825 a new 
czar, Nicholas I, ascended the 
throne of Russia. A 
rebellion immediately broke out, 
led by liberals 
demanding that the country 
modernize — that its 
industries and civil structures catch 
up with the rest 
of Europe. Brutally crushing the 
rebellion (the 
Decembrist Uprising), Nicholas I 
sentenced one of 
its leaders, Kondraty Ryleyev, to 
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death. On the day 
of the execution. Ryleyev stood on 
the gallows, the 
noose round his neck. The 
trap-door opened — but 
as Ryleyev dangled, the rope 
broke, dashing him 
to the ground. At the time, events 
like this were considered 
signs of providence or heavenly 
will, and a 
man saved from execution this 
way was usually 
pardoned. As Ryleyev got to his 
feet, bruised and 
dirtied but believing his neck had 
been saved, he 
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called out to the crowd, "You see, 
in Russia they 
don't know how to do anything 
properly, not even 
how to make a rope!" A messenger 
immediately 
went to the Winter Palace with 
news of the failed 
hanging. Vexed by this 
disappointing turnabout, 
Nicholas I nevertheless began to 
sign the pardon. 
But then: "Did Ryleyev say 
anything after this 
miracle?"the czar asked the 
messenger. "Sire," the 
messenger replied,"he said that in 
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