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Teaching Dhamma As Idle Chatter
I started re-reading Ajaan Fuang's "Awareness Itself" yesterday and agreed with this passage so much I thought I'd quote it here and ask you all if you agree with it or not?
"Mind What You Say
§ Normally, Ajaan Fuang was a man of few words who spoke in response to circumstances: If the circumstances warranted it, he could give long, detailed explanations. If not, he'd say only a word or two — or sometimes nothing at all. He held by Ajaan Lee's dictum: "If you're going to teach the Dhamma to people, but they're not intent on listening, or not ready for what you have to say, then no matter how fantastic the Dhamma you're trying to teach, it still counts as idle chatter, because it doesn't serve any purpose" (http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/thai/fuang/itself.html#say).
May all beings find the causes of true happiness within.
bucky
"Mind What You Say
§ Normally, Ajaan Fuang was a man of few words who spoke in response to circumstances: If the circumstances warranted it, he could give long, detailed explanations. If not, he'd say only a word or two — or sometimes nothing at all. He held by Ajaan Lee's dictum: "If you're going to teach the Dhamma to people, but they're not intent on listening, or not ready for what you have to say, then no matter how fantastic the Dhamma you're trying to teach, it still counts as idle chatter, because it doesn't serve any purpose" (http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/thai/fuang/itself.html#say).
May all beings find the causes of true happiness within.
bucky
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Comments
I've had teachers like this.
We can all learn a whole lot of stuff if we put personal opinion aside, and merely really listen to what is actually being said.
I think interpretation has a lot to do with that, too.
So it's important to use the ears and mouth in proportion, and engage brain before putting mouth in gear....
I agree...and aren't a lot of the Buddha's teachings about the skillful use of interpretation?
May all beings find the causes of true happiness within.
bucky