Lzh Mg Bu Pm Pc 78Eavesdropping
Pāli / Sanskrit:Upassuti
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The Discourse on Eavesdropping (Upassuti)
Background
The Upassuti is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically within the section governing the administration of the monastic community according to the Theravāda tradition. It is among the regulations pertaining to inappropriate conduct on the part of bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs in the course of communal practice.
The term "Upassuti" (from Pāli: upa + assuti) means "listening in secret" or "eavesdropping," referring to the act of deliberately listening to the conversations of others without their consent. This behavior is examined within the context of the monastic psychology and the ethics of community life. The discourse was transmitted to educate disciples concerning the nature of ambition, unwholesome curiosity, and the violation of others' privacy.
Within the life of a practicing community, its members are required to maintain mutual respect and to ensure that improper actions do not disturb internal harmony. Eavesdropping is regarded as a manifestation of an impure state of mind—a mind still governed by curiosity, suspicion, or concealed intention.
Main Content
The Upassuti emphasizes that the act of secretly listening to the conversations of others is conduct unbefitting the four assemblies of practitioners (bhikkhus, bhikkhunīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās). Such behavior reflects a lack of respect and a mind still bound by unwholesome mental formations (akusala citta).
The teaching points out that one who eavesdrops not only violates the principles of sincerity and mutual respect, but also nourishes adverse psychological factors such as: covetous curiosity (lobha), doubt (vicikicchā), and the tendency toward conduct that is not straightforward (musāvāda—falsehood or concealment of the truth).
The Vinaya Piṭaka records specific instances in which bhikkhus or bhikkhunīs engaged in eavesdropping in order to learn rumors, to gather information for personal advantage, or for other ulterior purposes. Such actions are regarded as requiring redress so as to protect the spirit of the Sangha and to uphold internal discipline.
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