Lzh Sarv Bi Pm Pc 3Malicious Talebearing
Pāli / Sanskrit:Pesuñña
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PESUÑÑĀ SCRIPTURE (DIVISIVE TALEBEARING SPEECH)
Background
The Pesuññā scripture is found in the Vinaya Piṭaka, the collection that sets out rules for training and communal life among monks and nuns. In the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, the Vinaya Piṭaka is not merely a set of dry prohibitions, but lessons in ethics, helping monks and nuns maintain a pure mind and harmony within the community.
Divisive talebearing speech (pesuññā) is regarded as one of the most harmful forms of conduct in the noble community. It is not falsehood, for the Vinaya clearly distinguishes it from lying (musāvāda), but rather speaking things that may actually be true with the intention of dividing, creating conflict between friends, or generating hatred. This scripture is presented in the context of the Buddha admonishing the Sangha about the harm caused by divisive speech.
Main Content
Pesuññā, from pesuṇa, meaning divisive speech, is a kind of heedlessness, a negative habit pattern that monastics must avoid. When someone speaks things that have a basis in fact with the purpose of causing a rift in the community, even though the speech may be true, the intention behind it is harmful. The Buddha taught that this kind of speech brings serious consequences.
The scripture points out specific harms: loss of mutual trust, breaking of friendships, division of the community, and the creation of opposing factions. In the noble community, where harmony (samaggī) is the foundation of practice, pesuññā becomes a great obstacle. The Buddha compared divisive speech to a sharp weapon: it does not injure the body, but it can pierce the heart.
According to the Vinaya Piṭaka, acts of pesuññā may lead to disciplinary penalties depending on their severity, from having to confess before the community (pabbajjanīya) to heavier penalties if the offender is a senior monk. The important point is that the Buddha taught that motive (cetanā) is the decisive factor. If one speaks truths with a good purpose, to help or correct someone, that is not pesuññā.
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