Lzh Dg Bu Pm Pc 3Malicious Talebearing
Pāli / Sanskrit:Pesuñña
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
THE SUTTA ON MALICIOUS SPEECH (PESUÑÑA)
Background
The Sutta on Malicious Speech (Pesuñña) belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically the Pātimokkha section of the Pāli Canon, where the training rules of the Buddhist monastic community are recorded. In the Early Theravāda tradition, the Vinaya Piṭaka is not merely a collection of prohibitions, but a framework for life that helps practice increase virtue and concentration. Pesuñña, the Pāli term for the act of “backbiting, malicious speech, slander,” is regarded as one of the blameworthy violations in the monastic community.
This discourse was transcribed in the context of the Buddha’s establishment of internal discipline, intended to protect harmony and trust among the members of the Sangha. The regulation on malicious speech is not for punishment, but to guide laypeople or bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs to understand clearly that speech has the power to create division, injury, and the destruction of the aspiration for the path.
Main Content
Pesuñña is defined as the act of speaking contrary or harmful things about a person to others, with the purpose of making them abandon friendship or causing a relationship to fracture. Malicious speech differs from speaking the truth: a bhikkhu may state the truth if necessary and without the intention to harm. This distinction is very important: if you speak the truth but with the aim of harming others or creating discord, it is still pesuñña.
According to the Vinaya Piṭaka, this act is regarded as an offense, at that time belonging to the class of “dukkaṭa,” or improper conduct. Although it is not among the greatest breaches, such as pārājika or saṅghādisesa, it is still clearly warned against because it directly injures the most important element of a community of practice: mutual trust and love.
The discourse emphasizes that one who commits this offense must undertake remorse (pabbajjana), publicly acknowledge it, and commit not to repeat it. The remedy is not merely a formal apology, but a real psychological change, from the intention to harm to the intention to protect harmony.
🌏 The Buddhist canon is vast — some sūtras (such as comparative Vinaya across schools, or untranslated Tibetan-canon texts) have to this day NEVER been translated into Vietnamese or English by anyone, scholars included. Rather than leave it blank, Inti AI offers a FAITHFUL summary grounded in the tradition — from the sūtra's title, origin and essence — so you can still reach this rare part of the treasury. Whenever an original translation exists, the app shows the original first.
Translations belong to the translator/source credited above. The bilingual compilation, presentation, and AI translations compiled by Inti are © Inti Foundation. Please attribute when quoting; do not bulk-copy or use commercially without permission.