Lzh Sarv Bu Pm 2 Ss 3Indecent Speech
Pāli / Sanskrit:Duṭṭhullavācā
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AN INTERPRETATION OF THE DUṬṬHULLAVĀCĀ SUTTA (INDECENT SPEECH)
Background
The Duṭṭhullavācā Sutta (Pāli: indecent or coarse speech) is part of the Vinaya Piṭaka in the Theravāda tradition. It belongs to the section regulating the lifestyle of those gone forth in the Buddha-Dharma, especially concerning speech unsuitable to the discipline of a monastic.
In the Vinaya Piṭaka, rules are not merely mechanical prohibitions, but guidance that helps practitioners train the mind, humility, and compassion. This sutta was taught to protect harmony in the Sangha, as well as to help each individual monastic cultivate virtue.
Main Content
Indecent speech (duṭṭhullavācā) is defined in the Vinaya Piṭaka as speech that slanders, insults, abuses, curses, or shows disrespect toward others. It includes insulting words intended to cause emotional injury, lower another person’s honor, or create conflict in the community of practice.
According to the principle of the Vinaya Piṭaka, monastics who commit this fault must carry out appropriate steps of correction, from public confession to suitable penalties, depending on the seriousness of the speech and the intention behind it. This is not to punish arbitrarily, but to help the offender recognize the harm they have caused, and from there give rise to the resolve to correct themselves.
The sutta also emphasizes that indecent speech reflects a careless state of mind, lacking concentration (samādhi) and wisdom (paññā). A true monastic must be able to control speech, so that every utterance is constructive, truthful, and beneficial for awakening.
Practical Meaning
The Duṭṭhullavācā Sutta teaches that speech is not merely sound, but an expression of the mind. Through training speech, we transform our own mind.
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