[389] *He indeed, restrained in speech, is a sage (muni)*: here a bhikkhu, having abandoned false speech (musāvāda), abstains from false speech; he is a speaker of truth, an adherent of truth, steadfast, trustworthy, no deceiver of the world. Having abandoned divisive speech (pisuṇā vācā), he abstains from divisive speech: what he has heard here he does not repeat elsewhere in order to divide these people; and what he has heard elsewhere he does not repeat to these people in order to divide those. Thus he is a reconciler of those who are divided and a promoter of those who are united; he rejoices in concord, delights in concord, takes pleasure in concord; he is a speaker of words that create concord. Having abandoned harsh speech (pharusā vācā), he abstains from harsh speech: such words as are blameless, pleasing to the ear, lovable, going to the heart, urbane, agreeable to the many, pleasing to the many — such words does he speak. Having abandoned frivolous talk (samphappalāpa), he abstains from frivolous talk: he speaks at the right time, speaks what is factual, speaks what is beneficial, speaks on the Dhamma, speaks on the Vinaya; he speaks words worth treasuring — timely, supported by reasons, kept within bounds, connected with the good.
Endowed with the four kinds of good verbal conduct, he speaks speech free from the four faults. From the thirty-two kinds of animal talk (tiracchānakathā) he is refrained, abstinent, wholly abstinent; having departed from them, having renounced them, released, detached, he dwells with a mind made free of boundaries. He speaks on the ten bases of talk, that is to say: he speaks talk on fewness of wishes, talk on contentment, talk on seclusion, talk on non-entanglement, talk on the arousing of energy, talk on virtue, talk on concentration (samādhi), talk on wisdom, talk on liberation, talk on the knowledge and vision of liberation; he speaks talk on the establishments of mindfulness (satipaṭṭhāna), talk on the right strivings, talk on the bases of spiritual power, talk on the faculties, talk on the powers, talk on the factors of awakening (bojjhaṅga), talk on the path, talk on the fruits, talk on Nibbāna.
*Restrained in speech* (vācāyato): restrained, thoroughly restrained, guarded, protected, watched over, controlled, calmed. *Sage* (muni): sagacity (mona) is called knowledge (ñāṇa) … having passed beyond the net of ties, he is a sage. Thus: *he indeed, restrained in speech, is a sage*.
Therefore the Blessed One said:
Not angry, not trembling with fear, not boastful, without remorse,
speaking with discretion, unrestless — he indeed, restrained in speech, is a sage.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.