Xct Mu Bu Vb Pc 2Abusive Speech
Pāli / Sanskrit:Omasavāda
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THE SUTTA ON ABUSIVE SPEECH (OMASAVĀDA)
Context
The Sutta on Abusive Speech (Omasavāda) is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon, specifically in the Pātimokkha section of the Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅga. This is one of the regulations given by the Buddha specifically for nuns in the monastic community. The background for this rule concerns events in the bhikkhunī community involving speech not in accord with the ethics of training (sīla).
In the Theravāda tradition, the Vinaya Piṭaka is not only a set of restrictive rules, but also an expression of spiritual formation, intended to protect harmony in the community and nourish noble mental qualities. Omasavāda, meaning “abusive speech” or “speaking words of disparagement and insult,” is a peccayati, a minor fault requiring correction, in a monastic’s verbal conduct.
Main Content
The Omasavāda rule states that nuns are not permitted to speak abusive, disparaging, or insulting words toward others, especially within the monastic community. Such speech, although not among the gravest offenses, still creates mental harm and breaks harmony in the community of practice.
According to the Vibhaṅga, speaking abusive words is regarded as an infringement of the principle of the basic Pañcasīla (Five Precepts), especially “not speaking falsehood” and “not causing harm through speech.” In the context of practice, abusive words not only reflect defiled states (kilesa) such as anger, greed, and delusion, but also harm the development of loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity (Brahmavihāra), the four noble states of mind that monastics must cultivate.
This rule emphasizes that the speech of one gone forth must always be restrained, gentle, and aimed at instruction, or at least not causing harm. Violation of this rule requires correction through immediate confession to those concerned or before the Sangha.
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