Ka Bu Pm Pc 2Malicious Talebearing
Pāli / Sanskrit:Pesuñña
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Exposition of the Pesuñña Discourse (Malicious Talebearing)
Background
Pesuñña, or “malicious talebearing,” is one of the acts that violate the monastic discipline of Theravāda Buddhism. This discourse is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the Pātimokkha, the basic table of discipline for monks and bhikkhunīs. It belongs to the group of unethical actions classified as faults for which one is responsible and must confess and amend.
In historical context, the Buddha established these rules to protect the Sangha community from division, disharmony, and spiritual conflict. Pesuñña is regarded as an especially dangerous action because it not only violates personal ethics but also destroys harmony in the Sangha, the foundation for the survival of the Dharma.
Main Content
Pesuñña is defined as the act of speaking divisive words with the purpose of separating others, malicious in character and intended to create discord. Unlike ordinary “pisuṇā vācā,” two-sided speech, pesuñña includes a harmful element: the intention to injure, to create conflict, to separate those who are friends, and to break apart communal bonds.
According to the Pātimokkha, uttering such malicious speech, whether about people generally or about specific individuals, is regarded as a violation. What is important is the intention (cetanā) of the speaker: whether that person deliberately wishes to cause a rupture. If a monastic performs this act consciously and with harmful purpose, that person must undergo corrective consequences according to the Vinaya.
This discourse also makes clear that complex calculations may enter into this conduct: some people may deliberately hide behind the guise of “kind advice” or “speaking truth for benefit” while in reality wishing to cause division. Therefore, the Sangha must be very alert to its true motives when speaking words that may affect relationships.
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