Lzh Mu Bi Pm Pc 81Talking In the Open

The Sutta on Speaking in the Open

Ajjhokāsasallapana — Vinaya Piṭaka

Background

The Ajjhokāsasallapana Sutta, speaking in the open, is found in the Pātimokkhasaṃvara, the collection of training rules of the community. It is one of the prohibitions (nissaggiya pācittiya), offenses requiring confession and the forfeiture of property, recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition.

The arising of this rule came from specific events in the Saṃgha, the monastic community. When bhikkhus spoke publicly about matters connected with property, fame, or material requests without necessity, this created carelessness and could lead to misunderstandings and disputes in the monastic community. Therefore, the Buddha established this principle to protect the spirit of purity and the collectedness of mind of the bhikkhus.

Main Content

This rule forbids bhikkhus to speak publicly (ajjhokāsa), that is, in the presence of those who are not members of the Sangha or in inappropriate circumstances, about the following matters: requesting gifts, speaking praise or blame in order to encourage others to give, or uttering words that might create misunderstanding about material expectations.

In particular, the text warns that such public speaking not only violates the rule of monastic conduct, but also harms the reputation of the Dharma. When bhikkhus speak publicly in this way, people may think that practitioners are concerned only with material things, thereby weakening faith in the purity of the Sangha Jewel.

This conduct is considered a fault even if the original intention is not to exploit anyone carelessly. The mere act of speaking publicly, where someone hears and may misunderstand the meaning, is enough to fall under this prohibition. The rule emphasizes that bhikkhus should be discerning in their actions and speech, especially when outsiders are observing.