Shundo David Haye – Zen Priest

‘Wholesome here doesn’t mean morally good or bad, right or wrong; it’s not some moral judgement on the person for being good or bad if they speak in a certain way.

But wholesome and unwholesome simply means: wholesome is speech and behavior that is in the direction of freedom from suffering; unwholesome speech or unwholesome behavior is behavior that leads us in the direction of suffering.

Leads us in the direction of creating trouble for ourselves and others. That’s the simple approach to it.

So speech that’s wholesome doesn’t fuel craving, speech that’s wholesome doesn’t fuel aversion, or attachment to views.

Wholesome speech lessens craving, aversion and attachment to views. And in general it avoids harming, it avoids causing suffering for ourselves and others.’ (from Buddhist Practices of Communication)