---
title: "It Takes Two Years to Learn to Speak, and a Lifetime to Learn to Shut Up"
description: "A homeless man envied the Bodhisattva on the lotus throne and swapped places with him, but was told not to speak. He witnessed a rich man drop his wallet, a poor man take it, and a fisherman get into a fight with the rich man. Unable to bear it, he spoke up and revealed the truth, but the Bodhisattva said that by speaking, he caused the poor man to lose the life-saving money, the rich man to miss a chance to accumulate virtue, and the fisherman to die at sea. The story teaches that sometimes silence is wiser than speaking, and in the workplace, one should speak less and do more."
author: "New Distribution"
publisher: "New Distribution"
email: "zhaobo258@gmail.com"
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published: "2016-11-03"
language: "en"
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original_source: "https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/-pkCtsqE2P5H_N4RUGv8Ag"
translation: "https://xinjignxiao.com/zh/articles/%E7%94%A8%E4%B8%A4%E5%B9%B4%E5%AD%A6%E4%BC%9A%E8%AF%B4%E8%AF%9D-%E7%94%A8%E4%B8%80%E8%BE%88%E5%AD%90%E5%AD%A6%E4%BC%9A%E9%97%AD%E5%98%B4-c7b32a0d.md"
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---

# It Takes Two Years to Learn to Speak, and a Lifetime to Learn to Shut Up

> A homeless man envied the Bodhisattva on the lotus throne and swapped places with him, but was told not to speak. He witnessed a rich man drop his wallet, a poor man take it, and a fisherman get into a fight with the rich man. Unable to bear it, he spoke up and revealed the truth, but the Bodhisattva said that by speaking, he caused the poor man to lose the life-saving money, the rich man to miss a chance to accumulate virtue, and the fisherman to die at sea. The story teaches that sometimes silence is wiser than speaking, and in the workplace, one should speak less and do more.

There was a homeless man who walked into a temple and saw the Bodhisattva sitting on a lotus throne, worshipped by the crowd. He was very envious.
Homeless man: Can I swap places with you?
Bodhisattva: As long as you don't speak.
The homeless man sat on the lotus throne. Before his eyes, it was noisy and chaotic all day, with many supplicants. He kept silent and didn't speak.
One day, a rich man came. Rich man: I pray to the Bodhisattva to grant me virtue. He kowtowed, rose, and his wallet fell to the ground. The homeless man was about to speak to remind him, but he remembered the Bodhisattva's words.
After the rich man left, a poor man came. Poor man: I pray to the Bodhisattva to grant me money. My family is seriously ill and urgently needs money. He kowtowed, rose, and saw a wallet on the ground. Poor man: The Bodhisattva has truly shown a miracle. He picked up the wallet and left. The homeless man wanted to say that it wasn't a miracle, but something the rich man had dropped; but he remembered the Bodhisattva's words.
At that moment, a fisherman came in. Fisherman: I pray to the Bodhisattva to grant me safety, so that I can go to sea without wind and waves. He kowtowed, rose, and was about to leave when the rich man, who had returned, grabbed him. Over the wallet, the two started to fight. The rich man was convinced the fisherman had picked up his wallet, while the fisherman felt wrongly accused and couldn't tolerate it. The homeless man couldn't watch any longer. He shouted, "Stop!" and told them the whole truth. The dispute was settled.
Do you think that was right? Bodhisattva: You'd better go back to being a homeless man. You spoke, thinking you were being fair, but as a result, the poor man didn't get the life-saving money; the rich man didn't cultivate good virtue; and the fisherman went to sea, encountered a storm, and perished at the bottom of the sea. If you hadn't spoken, the poor man's family would have been saved; the rich man would have lost a bit of money but helped others and accumulated virtue; and the fisherman, because of the entanglement, wouldn't have boarded the boat, avoided the storm, and would still be alive today.
The homeless man silently left the temple...
Many things should be left as they are. Letting them happen naturally will lead to better results. But when facing reality, who knows what the natural outcome of things should be?
In the workplace, whether leaders or family members tell me, "Speak less, do more." The purpose is to keep you from being a boastful person with high aims but low abilities. No one likes someone who talks beautifully but does poorly. Only talking without doing, gossiping about others, and pointing fingers won't win the favor of colleagues. So we should be modest and cautious, talk less and do more, not show off, and focus on practicality. Wherever we go, we'll be welcomed.
1. When encountering difficulties at work, speak less.
Difficulties at work are common. In practice, everyone faces some problems. There's no need to shout about difficulties at every turn, as if others won't understand or know if you don't say it. Develop the habit of solving problems independently and cultivate the ability to solve problems yourself. Unless absolutely necessary, don't complain to colleagues and leaders or discuss how difficult your work is.
2. When achieving success at work, speak less.
Be good at keeping a low profile, be willing to attribute success to leaders and colleagues, and don't boast or be complacent. Don't beautify or elevate yourself, and don't look down on others because of your achievements.
3. After enduring hardship and toil, speak less.
People often say, "Work hard but get no thanks," meaning some people do a lot of work but are not appreciated by superiors or subordinates. If you do the work, it won't be erased even if you don't talk about it. If you go around talking about how many extra hours you worked and how much sweat you shed, it seems vulgar. A person who is unwilling to endure hardship and toil often ends up mediocre and without achievements. In this sense, enduring more hardship and toil is a "whetstone" for improving one's own quality.
4. After being wronged or misunderstood, speak less.
Have the spirit of enduring humiliation and bearing heavy burdens for the overall situation. Don't rise up in anger over a little injustice and then slack off. Believe that most people can uphold truth and justice. If others wrong or misunderstand you, you can make appropriate explanations at an appropriate time and place to clarify the facts and enhance unity. This is not contradictory to speaking less.
We always envy those who are eloquent
But easily overlook
That timely silence
Is also a kind of wisdom.
Silence is a power of stillness. In the face of silence, language appears pale, and actions become powerless.
We are keen on arguing about right and wrong, because of our dualistic views, which come from excessive attachment to the self. We are self-centered and use ourselves as the standard.
The truth of reality need not be obtained through debate; silent observation can bring more insight and understanding.
"Stopping speech" allows your heart to "settle." When the heart settles, wisdom rises.
Great evil and great good, major right and major wrong, cannot be clarified by endless debate. If language cannot stop, the mind cannot be calm.
Whether to argue or not is a reflection of one's state of mind. Although I admire those who are persistent, maintaining silence is also an inner persistence.
In this world, ease is rare; silence is an accumulation of years. No words can fully express emotions, so it's better to stop speaking, take everything in, and let a silent smile replace words.
Some people are busy arguing, busy calculating, busy defeating others, and pleasing themselves. But their hearts cannot find peace. The surging blood turns into a melody of extremism, brewing the ending of a dangerous game for humanity.
So-called stopping speech is not just the cessation of language, but the absence of thoughts and attachments in the mind. Returning to deeper awakening and freedom, only in silence and solitude can one truly understand practice.
Source: Himalaya Library


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