Lzh Mu Bu Pm Ss 3Indecent Speech
Pāli / Sanskrit:Duṭṭhullavācā
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THE SUTTA ON INDECENT SPEECH (DUṬṬHULLAVĀCĀ)
Background
The Duṭṭhullavācā Sutta belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pali Canon, reflecting the rules of practice that the Buddha established for the Sangha. The Vinaya Piṭaka is not a scripture of transcendent theory, but a set of rules for practice intended to protect the purity of the Sangha body and train the virtue of bhikkhus. This sutta concerns the issue of “indecent speech” (duṭṭhullavācā), that is, rough speech, speech lacking wisdom, or expressions unsuitable to the spirit of practice.
In the context of the Vinaya Piṭaka, every rule has a history of arising (vibhaṅga), often due to specific situations occurring in the monastic community that required the Buddha’s intervention. Bhikkhus or bhikkhunis sometimes committed violations, and from these the Buddha laid down prohibitions to protect the discipline and cultivate appropriate mental conduct.
Main Content
The Duṭṭhullavācā Sutta addresses cases in which members of the Sangha use inappropriate speech. Indecent speech here does not only mean obscene words in the modern sense, but any way of speaking that lacks respect, lacks compassion, or is not in accord with Buddhist ethics. It may include rude expressions, repeating things said by others that should not be repeated, or thoughtless comments.
The Vinaya Piṭaka requires bhikkhus to guard refined speech, meaning that their words must be clean in meaning and appropriate to the place and to the listeners. The sutta not only prohibits wrongful speech, but also emphasizes that even words that are not entirely false, if they lack truthfulness or benefit, should be avoided. This is part of the broader training in Theravada Buddhism, through which a monastic trains to restrain body, speech, and mind.
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