Verbal To-Shin Do

In the ancient Toltec wisdom tradition words are viewed as having magical potential. Words that create negativity, suffering, and pain are considered black magic. Conversely, words that comfort, heal, and facilitate the manifestation of positive realities are white magic. This belief is clearly consistent with the Japanese Mikkyo doctrine of Sanmitsu; the triple secret.

The triple secret is not just an opinion or a clever idea, it is an immutable universal law. Every moment of every day we are in the process of creating the reality we experience through the three building blocks of thought, speech, and action. While the concept is fundamentally simple, the dynamics of how all of this works are incredibly complex. Paying attention to the speech component is a great place to start exploring and experimenting with the triple secret.

Here are a few guidelines to experiment with:

1. Think before you speak. Be clear on the reality you wish to create through the power of your words and do your best to craft your language to support this intention. Many unfortunate realities are created through mindless, knee-jerk, habitual, and emotionally driven language. Take a moment before words begin to carelessly spill from your mouth and ask yourself “what is my objective – what reality do I wish to create?”

Be mindful of your tone of voice. We can carefully choose the right semantics, the best words to convey our message, and yet short circuit our intentions with a sarcastic, offensive or insincere tone of voice.

Control the energy. If you feel a situation getting intense or heated, slow down. Speak slowly and deliberately so that you don’t slip in to mindless, emotionally driven responses.

Of course there is a lot to consider, become aware of, and practice in our efforts to master the reality-building magic of speech. This is barely skimming the surface. Like our physical practice of To-Shin Do there are always more subtleties to become aware of and work with. However, study of these basic guidelines alone will significantly improve your ability to harness the magic power of words. The ability to minimize your own suffering, stress, and strife by simply learning to use words more skillfully is indeed magic.