Lzh Sarv Bu Vb Pc 3Malicious Talebearing
Pāli / Sanskrit:Pesuñña
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Discourse on Slander (Pesuñña)
Background
The Discourse on Slander (Pesuñña) belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka, the collection of training rules established by the Buddha to protect harmony within the Sangha. This discourse is found in the Pātimokkha, the basic code of discipline, specifically among the rules concerning negative conduct (Pācittiya, offenses requiring confession).
In Pāli, pesuñña means “divisive speech” or “intentional slander meant to cause harm.” This is not an ordinary offense of lying, but a specific act: repeating what one person has said in order to create conflict with another, or spreading information, even if true, with the aim of damaging relationships within the community. This distinction is very important in the early Vinaya.
The Buddha saw that in communal monastic life, division and conflict are the greatest obstacles leading to the breakdown of the Sangha. Therefore, this discourse was established to protect integrity and harmony among practitioners.
Main Content
The rule concerning pesuñña states that a bhikkhu or bhikkhunī must not engage in intentional slander. Specifically, the prohibited conduct is repeating one person’s words to another in order to create conflict, or saying things that the speaker knows will harm relationships among members of the monastic community.
Unlike musāvāda (false speech), pesuñña does not necessarily deny the truth of the information. A bhikkhu may say things that are entirely true, but if the motive is to damage a relationship, create division, or take revenge, then it is pesuñña.
This rule is also closely connected with the concepts of “wisdom” (ñāṇa) and “loving-kindness” (mettā). An action should be considered not only through the lens of “truth,” but also through its intention and the consequences it brings. A true practitioner must ask himself: “For what purpose am I saying this? Will this bring harmony or division?”
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