Speak not much

Few people speak too much. Throughout the day, they go on speaking. They do not like to keep mum. This is a very bad habit. Stomach of such people are very weak. They cannot keep any secret with them. If they come to know any secret about anyone, they immediately tell others. They do not know how much harmful could be the secret revealed before appropriate time. They go on talking like a scissor. They talk on myriad of subjects that have no depth.

They also become sick of self-praise. Praise of self when heard through others only gives pleasure. ‘Self-praise cannot give us true pleasure’ – blabbers forget this maxim. They advise others to keep mum, beautifully speak on the importance of remaining quiet, but they themselves cannot keep quiet. How strange is this?

The seers have said that we should practice to restrain our speech. If we want to speak well, then let us not speak much.

- Uttaradhyayana Sutra 1/10