Lzh Mg Bi Pm Pc 87Cursing Another
Pāli / Sanskrit:Paraabhisapana
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
THE DISCOURSE ON CURSING ANOTHER (PARAABHISAPANA)
Background
This discourse is drawn from the Patimokkha (Barhaspatya), the foundational code of discipline of the Theravāda Buddhist Sangha. According to the Theravāda tradition, the Patimokkha is a collection of ethical rules that Bhikkhunis (nuns) and Bhikkhus (monks) must observe in order to maintain spiritual purity and to build a stable community of practice.
Paraabhisapana, meaning "cursing another," is a prohibition relating to the act of employing harsh speech, cursing, or utterances intended to harm another's honor or confidence. Within the context of the Sangha, such conduct is regarded as a violation of discipline, for it gives rise to disputes, division, and the undermining of communal harmony.
This discourse was composed for the purpose of educating monastics regarding verbal actions that ought not to be committed, so as to protect one's own spiritual life and to maintain a wholesome environment of practice for the entire Sangha.
Principal Content
The Paraabhisapana discourse prescribes that a monastic should not engage in the act of cursing another through sharp critical speech, malediction, or utterances that dishonor that person. Such conduct is regarded as a transgression of the Patimokkha prohibitions—the foundational ethical rules.
Harsh cursing not only causes psychological harm to the one who is criticized, but also reflects the mental state of the speaker: anger, conceit, or an absence of compassion. According to the Buddha-Dharma, these unwholesome mental states are the very root of suffering and constitute an obstacle to spiritual practice.
The discourse emphasizes that a monastic must cultivate skillfulness in speech. This is not a sign of weakness or lack of courage, but rather a manifestation of wisdom (paññā) and loving-kindness (mettā). One who is truly devoted to the path must understand that every word carries karmic consequences and affects the spiritual development of both oneself and others.
🌏 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.