“Mendicants, don’t engage in all kinds of unworthy talk, such as
- talk about kings, bandits, and ministers;
- talk about armies, threats, and wars;
- talk about food, drink, clothes, and beds; talk about garlands and fragrances;
- talk about family, vehicles, villages, towns, cities, and countries;
- talk about women and heroes;
- street talk and talk at the well;
- talk about the departed; motley talk;
- tales of land and sea; and
- talk about being reborn in this or that state of existence.
Why is that? Because those discussions aren’t beneficial or relevant to the fundamentals of the spiritual life. They don’t lead to disillusionment, dispassion, cessation, peace, insight, awakening, and extinguishment.
When you discuss, you should discuss: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’. …
Why is that? Because those discussions are beneficial and relevant to the fundamentals of the spiritual life. They lead to disillusionment, dispassion, cessation, peace, insight, awakening, and extinguishment.
That’s why you should practice meditation to understand: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’.”
Read this translation of Saṁyutta Nikāya 56.10 Tiracchānakathāsutta: Unworthy Talk by Bhikkhu Sujato on SuttaCentral.net. Or read a different translation on SuttaCentral.net or SuttaFriends.org. Or listen on SC-Voice.net. Or explore the Pali on DigitalPaliReader.online.