Lzh Mi Bu Pm Pc 3Malicious Talebearing
Pāli / Sanskrit:Pesuñña
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EXPLANATION OF THE PESUÑÑĀ SUTTA (The Offense of Malicious Talebearing)
Background
The Pesuññā Sutta belongs to the Vinaya Pitaka of the Theravāda tradition of the Buddha Dharma, within the Pātimokkha, the basic code of discipline that bhikkhus must observe. The background of the establishment of this sutta concerns incidents in the Sangha community while the Buddha was still living. Some disciples, because ordinary habits had not yet been trained, used language to create division, accuse others, and speak ill of fellow practitioners in order to cause harm. Seeing that such conduct destroyed the harmony of the fourfold community, the Buddha laid down a precept prohibiting malicious divisive accusation (pesuññā).
Pesuññā is translated as "malicious speech" or "harmful slander," and differs from ordinary false speech. The defining feature of pesuññā is the intention to divide, destroy relationships, and deliberately create hostility. This is one of the serious violations in the Vinaya, included in the Pācittiya group, or Pātti, offenses requiring confession.
Main Content
According to the regulation of the Vinaya Pitaka, pesuññā occurs when a bhikkhu speaks words of a divisive nature to a third person, intending to create division between others or damage a relationship. The crucial point is not whether the words are true or false, but the malicious intention and the actual act of speaking.
The sutta clearly states that if a bhikkhu knows that his words will cause division and damage unity in the Sangha, yet deliberately speaks them, that is a violation of pesuññā. The bhikkhu must confess in the presence of those concerned, because this act directly harms the harmony of the fourfold community.
Pesuññā differs from other actions such as lying (musāvāda) or harsh speech (pharusavāca). Malicious talebearing has the specific purpose of destroying relationships and dividing those who are in harmony. The Buddha regarded this as one of the four dark forms of speech, together with lying, harsh speech, and useless idle chatter.
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