Seven Points of Mind Training

Point 6 : Disciplines of Mind Training

31: Don't malign others.

Point Six : Don't malign others.

Commentary :

You would like to put people in the wrong by saying disparaging things. However pleasantly coated with sugar and ice cream, underneath you are trying to put people down, trying to get revenge. Disparaging people is based on showing off your own virtue. You think that your virtues can only show because other people's are lessened, because they are less virtuous than you are. This applies to both education and practice. You might have better training in the dharma and say, "Somebody's attention span in his shamatha practice is shorter than mine; therefore, I am better, " or "Somebody knows fewer terms than I do." Fundamentally, these are all ways of saying, "That other person is stupid, and I am better than he is." I think this slogan is very straightforward.