Lzh Mu Bi Vb Pc 89Whispering With Monk
Pāli / Sanskrit:Whispering with monk
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
Discourse on Whispering with a Bhikkhu (Whispering With Monk)
Background
This discourse belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka, in the Pātimokkha, the collection of prohibitions that all bhikkhus must observe. Specifically, it is a Pācittiya regulation, a type of violation lighter than Pārājika but still requiring earnest confession and diligent correction.
The historical picture of the Vinaya Piṭaka shows that, as the Saṅgha expanded, the Buddha could not instruct each person individually. Therefore, he established ethical principles to protect the purity of the monastic body, the virtuous conduct of bhikkhu monastics, and the trust of the lay community. The rule on whispering with a bhikkhu reflects an intention to regulate unnecessary communication and avoid situations that lead to decay, loss of focus, or dishonor for the community.
Main Content
The prohibition on "whispering with a bhikkhu" is aimed at forbidding secretive or private communications among bhikkhus or between bhikkhus and people outside the religion, especially when there is an intention to conceal the truth or promote communication improper to virtuous conduct.
More specifically, this regulation warns bhikkhus not to whisper, that is, communicate privately or secretly with others in a way that arouses suspicion, or use secret communication to conceal wrongful actions. This is a way of protecting the spirit of straightforwardness and transparency in the Saṅgha, core values of Dharma practice.
If a bhikkhu violates this rule, that is, engages in whispering unnecessarily or with wrong intention, he must confess the fault before a senior monk, or during the Uposatha, and repent so as to become pure in conduct.
Practical Meaning
This prohibition teaches us a profound lesson about transparency and integrity in virtuous conduct.
🌏 The Buddhist canon is vast — some sūtras (such as comparative Vinaya across schools, or untranslated Tibetan-canon texts) have to this day NEVER been translated into Vietnamese or English by anyone, scholars included. Rather than leave it blank, Inti AI offers a FAITHFUL summary grounded in the tradition — from the sūtra's title, origin and essence — so you can still reach this rare part of the treasury. Whenever an original translation exists, the app shows the original first.
Translations belong to the translator/source credited above. The bilingual compilation, presentation, and AI translations compiled by Inti are © Inti Foundation. Please attribute when quoting; do not bulk-copy or use commercially without permission.