San Sarv Bu Pm Finot Pc 3Malicious Talebearing
Pāli / Sanskrit:Pesuñña
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Pesuñña Discourse: Exposition on the Offense of Malicious Speech
Background
The Pesuñña discourse (Malicious Talebearing) belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pali Canon, in the Pācittiya section, the rules of training for monks and nuns. The Vinaya Piṭaka is the foundation for organizing the life of practice of the Theravada Buddhist Sangha, compiled under the guidance of the Buddha Gotama.
Malicious speech or slander (pesuñña) is regarded as one of the most harmful actions among the Pañcasīla, the five basic precepts. It not only destroys harmony within the community, but also creates a great obstacle to the practitioner's cultivation of calm concentration. Therefore, the Vinaya Piṭaka devotes many specific rules to educating monastics on the importance of truthful and compassionate speech.
Pesuñña is defined as speaking divisive, provocative, or disparaging words about one person to another, with the aim of creating conflict and harming harmonious relationships. Unlike ordinary false speech, or confused speech, the offense of malicious speech is highly intentional, with the purpose of destroying and dividing.
Main Content
In the rules concerning Pesuñña, the Vinaya Piṭaka clearly states that monastics commit a Pācittiya offense when five basic factors are present: (1) the speech is divisive, (2) it is spoken with the intention of causing division, (3) it is spoken to another person, not the object of the division, (4) the listener clearly understands the meaning, and (5) it creates actual division or has the capacity to cause division.
This offense need not involve false speech. Even words that are true can become Pesuñña if they are spoken with a divisive motive, choosing the time and listener in order to create conflict. The Vinaya Piṭaka emphasizes that this is a combination of inner intention (cetanā) and outward action (vācā, speech).
The penalty for Pesuñña is Pācittiya, that is, a minor offense requiring the offender to confess before another monastic, perform acknowledgment (paṭidesanā), and undertake not to repeat it.
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