Lzh Mg Bi Pm Pc 12Evasive Speech
Pāli / Sanskrit:Aññavādaka
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Commentary on the Aññavādaka Sutta (Evasive Speech)
Background
The Aññavādaka Sutta is found in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically within the Pātimokkha (the Code of Discipline) for bhikkhus. It is one of the foundational rules of discipline established to protect the purity of the Sangha and to maintain harmony within the Buddhist community. The sutta was formulated in the context of the Buddha's establishment of proper standards of practice for his disciples, particularly those newly ordained who wished to train in accordance with the True Dharma.
The term aññavādaka (one who speaks evasively, one who offers deflecting speech) refers to those bhikkhus who act or speak in an ambiguous manner, evade responsibility, or deny their own wrongdoings. This constitutes a violation of the spirit of the Vinaya—it is not merely an outward transgression but a failure of inner honesty and transparency.
Principal Content
The sutta stipulates that a bhikkhu should not speak evasively, deflect, or deny when his faults are pointed out to him. Specifically, when a bhikkhu has transgressed the Pātimokkha or the rules of practice, and this is brought to his attention by his senior brothers or by the Sangha, he must acknowledge the matter straightforwardly rather than resorting to such responses as "I did not know," "I do not understand," "That is not so," or other forms of denial.
Evasive speech is regarded as an act that indirectly defiles the purity of the Sangha. It reflects a mind not yet illumined by wisdom, still entangled in greed, aversion, and delusion. This is to be distinguished from the question of whether a given transgression has actually occurred—that is a matter of objective fact. But the act of denial or evasive speech itself reveals a mind that is not upright.
This rule of discipline emphasizes that the acknowledgment and correction of faults form the very foundation for maintaining the Sangha in harmony and in diligent practice. When a bhikkhu deliberately employs evasive speech in order to escape responsibility, the matter is to be dealt with in accordance with the Pātimokkha, and may lead to appropriate censure or corrective measures.
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