Lzh Mu Bi Vb Pc 13Evasive Speech

Sutta on Evasive Speech (Aññavādaka)

Background

The Aññavādaka Sutta (Evasive Speech) is found in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon, specifically in the Pācittiya section, prohibitions that are lighter in nature but still require repentance. This code was taught by the Buddha to protect the purity of the Sangha and to build an ethical foundation for bhikkhus.

The subject of the sutta is bhikkhus, those who have gone forth in the early Buddhist community. The tone of the Vinaya Piṭaka is directed toward voluntary cultivation, not coercion, through understanding the consequences of dishonest speech.

Main Content

Aññavādaka uses the word aññavāda, “speaking otherwise” or “evasive speech,” to refer to evasive, indirect words intended to conceal the truth or cause confusion. The sutta prohibits such speech among bhikkhus, especially in situations related to discipline or hearings in which offenses are to be disclosed.

Looking deeply into its nature, evasive speech is regarded as a subtle form of lying. It is not a direct false statement, but a way of avoiding, circling around, or using ambiguous words so that others do not clearly understand the meaning. This damages trust within the community and destroys the transparency needed for admonition and collective cultivation.

This sutta applies especially when a bhikkhu is directly questioned about his conduct, whether bodily or verbal, and he attempts to escape by means of invented speech or another framing. The consequence of this fault is Pācittiya, requiring the bhikkhu to confess and repent before the Sangha.

Practical Meaning

The Aññavādaka Sutta essentially teaches the power of absolute truthfulness (sacca). In early Buddhism, truthfulness is not only refraining from openly lying, but also not concealing, not being spiteful, and not using speech to create fog in the mind of the listener.