Why is wholesome speech one of the hardest precepts to navigate?

In this talk, Tom Baker explores the many nuances of wise conversation, including:

• The ways our words cause suffering
• The intoxicating aspect of slander and gossip
• The mindfulness component of watching our speech
• Listening with our whole presence
• Our responsibility to speak out against injustice
• Overcoming our reluctance to speak up for ourselves
• A Buddhist perspective on freedom of speech

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Tetsugen Tom Baker is a Soto Zen priest in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki-Roshi. He was ordained by Shinki Mark Lancaster at Dragon’s Leap Temple in 2017. He practices in the “Marketplace Priest” tradition. Long active in the Meditation in Recovery group, he was a founder of the off-shoot monthly Zen Men in 2015.

Tom works in the Geriatrics Division at UCSF and specializes in Palliative Care and end-of-life issues. He married his husband Gary Dexter in November 2021.

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CREDITS
Audio Engineer: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
Music/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter