San Lo Bu Pm Pc 3Malicious Talebearing

EXPOSITION OF THE PESUÑÑA SCRIPTURE (MALICIOUS SPEECH)

Background

The Pesuñña scripture is a Pācittiya rule in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition, recorded in the Prātimokṣa, the collection of basic ethical rules that bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs must observe. This rule specifically deals with the conduct of "malicious speech" or "deceitful talk" (pesuñña), one of the actions that harm the monastic community and the harmony among practitioners.

In the context of a large Sangha, where concentration and mutual trust are the foundation of practice, malicious speech is regarded as a serious ethical violation. It is not simply lying or insulting, but the intentional use of speech to create division, damage relationships, or destroy trust among members of the monastic body.

Main Content

Pesuñña is defined as the act of speaking words that have the nature of deceitful talk, or words intended to create division between others. Specifically, the scripture teaches that a bhikkhu should not speak words intended to separate those who have a relationship, or words intended to create disharmony in the monastic body.

This conduct is regarded as a Pācittiya offense, a type of fault requiring confession and correction. This shows that Theravāda Buddhism not only forbids violent or immoral actions, but also places great emphasis on subtlety in the use of speech and thought.

The scripture teaches that malicious speech, whether direct or indirect, whether overt or hidden, is an act that breaks circles of trust. It wounds the mind of the person spoken against, wounds those who listen, and ultimately wounds the speaker themselves.

Practical Meaning

More deeply, Pesuñña teaches about the psychological factor behind malicious speech: anger, jealousy, or the desire to gain influence through impure means. A practitioner must examine their motivation before saying anything about another person.