Lzh Dg Bi Pm Pc 88Cursing Another
Pāli / Sanskrit:Paraabhisapana
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The Sutta on Insulting Another Person (Paraabhisapana Sutta)
Background
The Paraabhisapana Sutta belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition, recording ethical regulations within the Buddhist Sangha. The Vinaya Piṭaka is the foundation of monastic discipline, guiding bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs to live in harmony and keep the mind pure in practice.
The background of this sutta arose from specific cases in the Sangha, when some monastics used harmful speech, specifically insulting, abusive, and cursing words toward others. The Buddha, with compassion and clear wisdom, recognized that this action not only violated categories of ethics, but also destroyed harmony and harmed the mind of the person criticized. Therefore, he laid down specific regulations to govern this verbal conduct in the bhikkhu community.
Main Content
The Paraabhisapana Sutta (para = another; abhisapana = insulting, cursing) states that a monastic is not permitted to curse or insult another person, whether a monastic or a layperson. This act is considered a violation of Paccayasannissita, rules related to specific actions, or within the range of blameworthy conduct.
Specifically, when a monastic curses or insults another person, whether directly or indirectly, this is regarded as:
First, an act violating the discipline (sīla), because harmful speech does not accord with Right Speech (sammā vācā), speech rightly practiced in the Noble Eightfold Path.
Second, an expression of greed, hatred, and delusion (lobha, dosa, moha), the three poisons of the mind, which corrupt the spiritual purity a monastic must cultivate.
Third, this action harms the teaching and the Sangha, breaking the harmonious relationships necessary for the monastic community to flourish.
This sutta emphasizes that even when an insult contains an element of truth, a monastic still has no right to use it to curse or wound another person’s heart.
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