The Buddha shares in brief the four kinds of verbal good conduct - 1) truthful speech, 2) non-divisive speech, 3) gentle speech, and 4) wise counsel.

Sucarita sutta - Good Conduct

“Bhikkhus, there are these four kinds of |verbal good conduct::good behavior in speech [vacīsucarita]|. What four?

1 |Truthful speech::speaking what is true [saccavācā]|,

2 |non-divisive speech::not slanderous, not defamatory, not malicious [apisuṇa vācā]|,

3 |gentle speech::spoken politely, with a mind of loving-kindness [saṇhā vācā]|,

4 |wise counsel::relevant, beneficial, to the point [mantabhāsā]|.

These are the four kinds of verbal good conduct.”

Last updated on March 27, 2025

CC0 License Button