Wise Speech: To Prince Abhaya
Prince Abhaya took a lower seat and sat to one side. As he was sitting there he said to the Blessed One, “Lord, would the Tathagata say words that are unendearing & disagreeable to others?”
“Prince, there is no categorical yes-or-no answer to that.”…
[1] In the case of words that the Tathagata knows to be unfactual, untrue, unbeneficial (or: not connected with the goal), unendearing & disagreeable to others, he does not say them.
[2] In the case of words that the Tathagata knows to be factual, true, unbeneficial, unendearing & disagreeable to others, he does not say them.
[3] In the case of words that the Tathagata knows to be factual, true, beneficial, but unendearing & disagreeable to others, he has a sense of the proper time for saying them.
[4] In the case of words that the Tathagata knows to be unfactual, untrue, unbeneficial, but endearing & agreeable to others, he does not say them.
[5] In the case of words that the Tathagata knows to be factual, true, unbeneficial, but endearing & agreeable to others, he does not say them.
[6] In the case of words that the Tathagata knows to be factual, true, beneficial, and endearing & agreeable to others, he has a sense of the proper time for saying them. Why is that? Because the Tathagata has sympathy for living beings.”
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.058.than.html
2025 Inauguration Prayer Service Address by Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde
“…. As a country we have gathered this morning to pray for unity as a people and a nation, not for agreement, political or otherwise, but for the kind of unity that fosters community across diversity and division, a unity that serves the common good. Unity in this sense is a threshold requirement for people to live in freedom and together in a free society…It is not conformity. It is not victory. It is not polite weariness or passive passivity born of exhaustion. Unity is not partisan, rather unity is a way of being with one another that encompasses and respects our differences, that teaches us to hold multiple perspectives and life experiences as valid and worthy of respect, that enables us in our communities and in the halls of power to genuinely care for one another even when we disagree.
Those across our country who dedicate their lives or who volunteer to help others in times of natural disaster, often at great risk to themselves, never ask those they are helping for whom they voted in a past election or what positions they hold on a particular issue. And we are at our best when we follow their example. For unity at times is sacrificial in the way that love is sacrificial, a giving of ourselves for the sake of another…
Now I grant you that unity in this broad expansive sense is aspirational, and it’s a lot to pray for. It’s a big ask of our God, worthy of the best of who we are and who we can be. But there isn’t much to be gained by our prayers if we act in ways that further deepen the divisions among us. Our scriptures are quite clear about this that God is never impressed with prayers when actions are not informed by them. Nor does God spare us from the consequences of our deeds, which always in the end matter more than the words we pray.
Those of us gathered here in the cathedral, we are not naive about the realities of politics, …it goes without saying that, in a democracy, not everyone’s particular hopes and dreams can be realized in a given legislative session or a presidential term, not even in a generation. Which is to say,… not everyone’s prayers will be answered in the way we would like. But for some, the loss of their hopes and dreams will be far more than political defeat, but instead a loss of equality and dignity and their livelihoods. Given this then, is true unity among us even possible? And why should we care about it?
Well, I hope we care. … because the culture of contempt that has become normalized in this country threatens to destroy us…it’s a dangerous way to lead a country. I’m a person of faith surrounded by people of faith.. I believe that unity in this country is possible. Not perfectly, for we are imperfect people and an imperfect union but sufficient enough to keep us all believing in and working to realize the ideals of the United States of America,… And, so what are they, the foundations of unity?
Drawing from our sacred traditions and texts, let me suggest that there are at least three. The first foundation for unity is honoring the inherent dignity of every human being, which is…the birthright of all people … In public discourse, honoring each other’s dignity means refusing to mock or discount or demonize those with whom we differ, choosing instead to respectfully debate our differences, and, whenever possible, to seek common ground. And if common ground is not possible, dignity demands that we remain true to our convictions without contempt for those who hold convictions of their own.
The second foundation for unity is honesty, in both private conversation and public discourse. If we are not willing to be honest, there is no use in praying for unity because our actions work against the prayers themselves.
On the third … foundation… is humility, which we all need, because we are all fallible human beings. We make mistakes. We say and do things that we later regret. …. And the more we realize this, the more room we have within ourselves for humility and openness to one another across our differences, because, in fact, we are more like one another than we realize, and we need each other.…
Let me make one final plea, Mr. President. Millions have put their trust in you and, as you told the nation yesterday, you have felt the providential hand of a loving God… In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now. There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and Independent families, some who fear for their lives. And the people, the people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings, who labor in poultry farms and meat packing plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and work the night shifts in hospitals. They may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors. They are faithful members of our churches and mosques, synagogues, and temples. I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away and that you help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands, to find compassion and welcome here. ..
May God grant us the strength and courage to honor the dignity of every human being, to speak the truth to one another in love. and walk humbly with each other and our God for the good of all people. The good of all people in this nation and the world. Amen.