"Shut Up!?" Modern Spin on an old Tradition

The Four Gates of Speech

 

An old Sufi tradition advises us to speak only after our words have managed to pass through four gates.



At the first gate we ask ourselves,  “Are these words true?”
          If so, we let them pass on; if not, back they go.




At the second gate we ask, “Are these words necessary?”
          If so, we let them pass on; if not, back they go.




At the third gate we ask, “Are these words beneficial?”
          If so, we let them pass on; if not, back they go.




At the fourth gate we ask, “Are these words kind?”
          If so, we let them pass on; if not, back they go.




                   If the answer to any of these is no, then......."shut up!"