Lzh Dg Bi Pm Pc 61Eavesdropping

Upassuti Discourse (Eavesdropping)

Background

The Upassuti discourse (Pāli: उप्पस्सुति, eavesdropping) is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the Pāṭimokkha Saṃvara, the training rules of the bhikkhus. This discourse is especially concerned with violations in the acts of hearing and listening by bhikkhus, those who have gone forth to pursue the path of liberation.

The historical background of this discourse comes from the early days of the Sangha, when the Buddha promulgated disciplinary rules to maintain discipline and harmony in the community of practice. Violations involving “eavesdropping” (upassuti) were regarded as secretive, deceitful actions, or deviations from the ethics of humble training. These regulations were intended to protect both the personal purity of each bhikkhu and the reputation of the Sangha in the eyes of the Buddhist community.

Main Content

In the Vinaya Piṭaka, the Upassuti discourse concerns actions of secretly listening to or quietly monitoring conversations to which the monastic has not been invited. According to Theravāda discipline, a bhikkhu should not eavesdrop on the conversations of others, especially when the purpose is to discover secrets, judge others, or use the information to cause harm.

This rule arises from two core principles: first, samādhi (concentration), which requires the mind to be unified and not wander into furtive affairs; second, sīla (virtue), especially the precept against false speech, extended to mean that one should not take part in secretive actions related to speech and information.

A bhikkhu who violates this regulation is considered to have committed a definite fault, according to the degree, and must declare that fault before the Sangha during the Uposatha, the regular day of purification. This rule applies not only to bhikkhus but was also developed into a general principle of conduct for bhikkhunīs as well as ordinary Buddhist laypeople.