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False speech or not?

nakazcidnakazcid Somewhere in Dixie, y'all Veteran
edited August 2011 in Buddhism Basics
Today I passed my manager in the hallway and she asked "How are you today?" I replied "Alright, how about you?" As I walked away, I realized I actually felt pretty miserable after some GI trouble had kept me up in the middle of the night. I don't think I had any intent to deceive, but it may have been an "unskillful" answer nonetheless. Was this a violation of the precept against false speech?

Comments

  • TalismanTalisman Veteran
    Lack of mindfulness, not necessarily breaking the precept. You did not "intend" to deceive.
  • aMattaMatt Veteran
    It sounds more like idle chatter, because you answered without mindfulness.. We don't need to explain all of our specific details to every question, but it is better for our minds if we respond in a way that is genuine and intentional.
  • painpain
    edited August 2011
    It's no biggie :)
  • nakazcidnakazcid Somewhere in Dixie, y'all Veteran
    Thanks for the feedback. However it still leaves the question, how should I have responded? I'm thinking a simple "I'm feeling a little under the weather" would have been appropriate, though it doesn't really convey how tired and unwell I feel. So tired that it took me several minutes to think of that...
  • jlljll Veteran
    Buddha spoke at length about false speech and
    unskillful speech.
    'if its true but it will cause discord, dont say it'
    is the one i remember, not sure if its accurate.
    Thanks for the feedback. However it still leaves the question, how should I have responded? I'm thinking a simple "I'm feeling a little under the weather" would have been appropriate, though it doesn't really convey how tired and unwell I feel. So tired that it took me several minutes to think of that...
  • auraaura Veteran
    Thanks for the feedback. However it still leaves the question, how should I have responded? I'm thinking a simple "I'm feeling a little under the weather" would have been appropriate, though it doesn't really convey how tired and unwell I feel. So tired that it took me several minutes to think of that...
    Around here those who ask "How are you?" in passing are offering merely a standard greeting for which they expect the standard "fine, thanks, and you" greeting in return. They are not actually interested in knowing how you are as much as they are just greeting you, and if you say anything other than "fine, thanks, and you?" you can cause them significant social discomfort.
    Of course, on the other end of the scale, I once received a comment of
    "I swear that if they hauled you in here in a body cast, you'd still be saying 'life is good!' to everybody horrified at seeing you in a body cast!"
    "and I'd still be answering you with 'life is good!'"
    "I know you would! You'd still be saying 'life is good' if the goddamned building caved in on top of us! So just why is that?"
    "Because we're not dead yet, of course!"
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