Lzh Mi Bu Pm Ss 3Indecent Speech
Pāli / Sanskrit:Duṭṭhullavācā
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Explanation of the Duṭṭhullavācā Sutta (Indecent Speech)
Background
The Duṭṭhullavācā Sutta belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka, the Pātimokkha section, the table of precepts, of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition. The Vinaya Piṭaka was compiled for the purpose of governing the overall life of bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs in communities of practice. In the context of the Sangha, the monastic community, maintaining purity of speech is regarded as a foundation of virtue (sīla).
This text appears when the Blessed Buddha, while guiding his disciples in practice, discovered that some bhikkhus were using coarse, rude, and unsuitable speech, not in keeping with the image of a practitioner. This discovery led to the establishment of a clear rule in the Vinaya Piṭaka, in order to protect the honor of the Sangha and regulate the conduct of its members.
Main Content
Duṭṭhullavācā (from duṭṭhu, coarse or rude; vācā, speech) is speech unsuitable to the status and character of a practitioner. This includes provocative speech, insults, vulgar speech, or words that offend the dignity of individuals and the community.
In the Pātimokkha, speaking such words is classified into different violations depending on the degree and consequence. In particular, indecent speech has the capacity to cause division in the community of practice, weakening the harmony (samavāya) that the Sangha needs in order to endure.
This rule was established not only to sanction wrongful conduct, but also to train the mind (abhicetanā) of the practitioner. Indecent speech often arises from a defiled mind (kilesa), namely greed, hatred, and delusion. By controlling speech, the practitioner trains themselves to control those mental states at their root.
Practical Meaning
The deep meaning of this text lies in recognizing that speech is not a light or insignificant action.
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