Take care not to:

yell at children
make up fantastic stories
speak while angry
name-drop

My Precepts, from Dewdrops on a Lotus Leaf, Zen Master Ryokan

Take care not to:

speak ill of others
speak grandly of enlightenment
carry on while drunk
speak in an obnoxious manner

My Precepts, from Dewdrops on a Lotus Leaf, Zen Master Ryokan

Take care not to:

use fancy words
speak of past events that cannot be changed
speak like a pedant
avoid direct questions

My Precepts, from Dewdrops on a Lotus Leaf, Zen Master Ryokan

Take care not to:

boast
avoid speaking directly
speak with a knowing air
jump from topic to topic

My Precepts, from Dewdrops on a Lotus Leaf, Zen Master Ryokan

Take care not to:

talk back rudely
argue
smile condescendingly at others’ words
use elegant expressions

My Precepts, from Dewdrops on a Lotus Leaf, Zen Master Ryokan.