法苑珠林 89.37

89.37

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.'