5.
The Discourse on Well-Spoken
213.
At Sāvatthī.
There the Blessed One addressed the monks thus:
"Monks."
"Venerable sir," those monks assented to the Blessed One.
The Blessed One said this:
"Monks, speech possessed of four factors is well spoken, not badly spoken; blameless and beyond reproach by the wise. With which four? Here, monks, a monk speaks only what is well spoken, not what is badly spoken; speaks only what is in accordance with the Teaching, not what is contrary to the Teaching; speaks only what is pleasant, not what is unpleasant; speaks only what is true, not what is false. Monks, speech possessed of these four factors is well spoken, not badly spoken, blameless and beyond reproach by the wise." This is what the Blessed One said, and having said this, the Fortunate One, the Teacher, further said this:
One should speak what is in accordance with the Teaching, not contrary to it - that is the second;
One should speak what is pleasant, not unpleasant - that is the third,
One should speak what is true, not false - that is the fourth."
Then the Venerable Vaṅgīsa, having risen from his seat, having arranged his upper robe on one shoulder, having extended joined palms in salutation towards the Blessed One, said this to the Blessed One - "It occurs to me, Blessed One, it occurs to me, Fortunate One." "Let it occur to you, Vaṅgīsa" - the Blessed One said. Then the Venerable Vaṅgīsa praised the Blessed One face to face with fitting verses -
And would not harm others - that indeed is well-spoken speech.
Which, not taking up evil words, speaks what is pleasant to others.
The good have said they are established in truth, in meaning, and in the Teaching.
For making an end of suffering - that indeed is the highest of speeches."