SPP2025 Sesshin Day 5: Destiny of a Nation: The Bodhisattva Practice of Kind Speech

In this talk during the fifth full day of Spring Practice Period Sesshin, Sensei Cynthia Ryotan explores the fourth of the bodhisattva’s methods of guidance: kind speech. She fames the importance of kind speech but quoting Dogen, “You should ponder the fact that kind speech is not just praising the merits of others, it has the power to turn the destiny of the nation.” Ryotan explains how unskillfulness and harmful speech patterns develop: “We’re born into this particular karmic crucible, which we call our families,” where even “garden variety unskillfulness” can create harmful patterns that follow us into adulthood. Ryotan shares her own journey with defensive, sarcastic speech patterns, including a powerful story about how deeply harming a colleague with harsh words led her to vow never to speak that way again. The talk offers practical guidance for cultivating kind speech: speaking slowly, monitoring tone, questioning our perceptions, and remembering that our thoughts aren’t necessarily reality. Throughout, we are encouraged to recognize how our speech both reflects our practice and impacts the world around us in tangible ways – showing that kind speech isn’t merely a personal virtue but a powerful force for transformation. To access the resources page for this program, please sign up by clicking here.