Xct Mu Bu Pm Pc 3Malicious Talebearing
Pāli / Sanskrit:Pesuñña
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Explanation of the Pesuñña Rule (Malicious Slander)
Background
Pesuñña, in the Pāli Canon, especially in the Vinaya Piṭaka, belongs to the field of study concerning the ethical and disciplinary rules of the Sangha. This rule arises from the context of managing the monastic community while the Buddha-Dharma was still present in the world. Pesuñña, slander or malicious talk, is considered one of the actions that creates division within the community of practice, and thus can destroy the harmony and collectedness of the collective.
In the historical context, situations of violation connected with Pesuñña often originated in jealousy, greed, or a discriminating mind among members of the Sangha. The Blessed Buddha, with boundless wisdom, recognized the destructive power of malicious speech and therefore established specific ethical provisions to protect the cohesion of the community of practice.
Main Content
Pesuñña is defined as the act of speaking divisive words, especially saying bad things about someone, whether true or not, for the purpose of creating conflict, resentment, or division in the community. Unlike ordinary wrong speech, Pesuñña has a deliberate quality, an intention to damage relationships among individuals or between an individual and the community.
In the Vinaya Piṭaka, the rules connected with Pesuñña not only warn of immediate consequences, such as creating conflict and loss of trust, but also point out deeper psychological and spiritual consequences. A person who habitually engages in malicious slander gradually becomes isolated from the community, loses opportunities to receive and share the Dharma, and thereby obstructs his or her own practice and awakening.
This rule also refers to cause and effect (kamma-phala). Malicious slander is a mental action, and according to the Dharma of cause and effect it will create negative effects for the one who performs it, from generating tension and sleeplessness to being warned against or avoided by those around them.
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