Mpt Pc 75Eavesdropping
Pāli / Sanskrit:Upassuti
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The Upassuti Discourse: Secret Listening
Background
The Upassuti Discourse (Pāli: upassuti = eavesdropping, secret observation) is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, the collection containing rules and instructions on the discipline of the Sangha. This discourse arose from a specific situation in the early Buddhist community, when a bhikkhu or bhikkhunī secretly listened to private conversations or restricted Dharma classes for the purpose of control, creating disturbance, or gathering information to use in disputes.
The Buddha saw that this conduct violated the basic principles of respect, truthfulness, and harmony in the community of seekers. Therefore, he gave clear guidelines to remove this secretive behavior from the life of practice. The Upassuti Discourse is one of the specific rules in the Pātimokkha, the basic code of the Sangha, intended to protect frankness, transparency, and trust among its members.
Main Content
In this discourse, the Buddha forbids a bhikkhu to listen secretly to the conversations of others without their permission. The act of “eavesdropping” (upassuti) is understood as an attempt to listen in secret by approaching a place where a restricted conversation is taking place or by hiding in order to observe. This may include standing near a door or window, or concealing oneself in order to hear what others are discussing.
This rule was established because eavesdropping creates serious harm: it breaks personal respect, destroys trust among members of the Sangha, gives rise to misunderstandings and disputes, and reflects a mentality of curiosity and selfishness that is unsuitable for the path of practice. Moreover, information obtained by eavesdropping is often used to cause harm, distort the truth, or create unnecessary tensions.
According to the Vinaya, a bhikkhu who violates this rule must acknowledge the fault before the Sangha and practice correction (paṭidesanā).
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