法苑珠林 89.37

89.37

佛言。休息惡口獲十種功德。何等為十。一得柔軟語。二揵利語。三合理語。四美潤語。五言必得中。六直語。七無畏語。八不敢輕𣣋語。九法語清辯。十身壞命終得生善道。諸仁者。是名休息惡口得十種功德。若能以此善根迴向無上菩提。是人不久得無上智到菩提時。於彼國土法聲充遍。離諸惡語。

The Buddha said, 'By refraining from harsh speech, one obtains ten kinds of merits. What are the ten? First, one obtains gentle speech. Second, sharp and penetrating speech. Third, reasonable speech. Fourth, pleasant and pleasing speech. Fifth, speech that inevitably hits the mark. Sixth, straightforward speech. Seventh, fearless speech. Eighth, speech that no one dares slight. Ninth, clear eloquence in Dharma speech. Tenth, upon the dissolution of the body and the end of life, one is reborn in wholesome destinies. Virtuous ones, this is called obtaining ten kinds of merits by refraining from harsh speech. If one can dedicate these roots of goodness toward unsurpassable bodhi, before long, when this person attains unsurpassable wisdom and reaches bodhi, in that land the sound of the Dharma will resound everywhere, free from all harsh speech.'