Lzh Sarv Bi Pm Dh Pc 3Malicious Talebearing
Pāli / Sanskrit:Pesuñña
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The Discourse on Malicious Speech against Fellow Practitioners (Pesuñña)
Background
Pesuñña, or "malicious speech" and "two-tongued speech," is one of the most blameworthy disciplinary faults in the Pātimokkha of bhikkhus. This discourse appears in the Vinaya Pitaka, specifically in the Pācittiya section, the rules whose violation requires confession. The Pesuñña discourse has a special place because it is directly connected with the destruction of harmony within the Sangha (saṅgha), one of the gravest actions that produces enmity.
The Vinaya Pitaka records specific situations in which the Buddha discovered bhikkhus using speech to create discord. Instead of resolving disputes directly, they sought to "muddy the water in order to catch fish," speaking ill of one fellow practitioner before another, then speaking ill of that person before someone else, gradually creating deep divisions.
Main Content
Pesuñña includes two basic legal aspects: the purpose, or intention, and the means of execution. Malicious speech is defined as conveying what one person has said about another, or the reverse, with the purpose of causing disharmony. The decisive point is not whether each statement is true or false; even if the words are entirely true, if the purpose is to create division, it is still pesuñña.
The discourse makes clear that the difference between "frank discussion" (tucchavedanīya, saying what needs to be said for the purpose of improvement) and "malicious speech against fellow practitioners" lies in the state of mind. A bhikkhu may point out the fault of a fellow practitioner with compassion and the wish to educate; but if the mind contains jealousy, anger, or the desire to harm, the action becomes pesuñña.
The penalty for pesuñña is pācittiya, an offense requiring the violator to confess before the whole Sangha after it has been discovered. But beyond this, the discourse emphasizes that malicious speech against fellow practitioners creates deep karmic consequences: it creates division, destroys trust, undermines compassion, and weakens the community of practice.
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