IS IT RIGHT SPEECH to speak up for the truth if others find your words controversial, even offensive? Presumably, Buddhist practitioners endeavor to avoid falsehood, malicious or divisive speech, harsh or abusive speech, and even idle chatter or gossip. This is right speech as the Buddha defined it (e.g., Saleyyaka Sutta 45.8). In the Saleyyaka Sutta of the Majjhima Nikaya, the Buddha taught that to be in accord with the dharma one should speak what is true, what unites people, what is agreeable, and what is timely. He taught that one should speak in a way that is reasonable, moderate, and beneficial.
That’s pretty straightforward. The problem is that all of us have found ourselves in situations where we felt the need to speak up for what we believe is true or to speak out against what we know to be false or unjust. When that happens, our speech is no longer agreeable to some, and those who disagree with us may feel that our words are not reasonable or beneficial. Have we gone against the Buddha’s teachings on right speech in such a case?
We should keep in mind that the Buddha expected that senior teachers in his sangha would be capable of refuting opposing doctrines. In the Mahaparinibbana Sutta in the Digha Nikaya, he told Mara that he would enter final nirvana in three months because the holy life had been successfully established and was flourishing, widespread, well-known, and well-proclaimed because there were finally monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen who were accomplished, skilled, learned, able to teach and declare the dharma, and to refute false teachings.
Rumi and Socrates are credited with the three sieves, or filters: Is it true, is it good, and is it useful? In the canonical discourses, the Buddha set up a similar test.
Likewise, the contains many passages wherein the Buddha admonishes his followers to correct misconduct and false teachings within the sangha. As an example:
