Bu Pc 33. Malicious talebearing
Pāli / Sanskrit:Pesuñña
A monk who spreads malicious gossip about another monk must confess the offense.
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The Sutta on Pesuñña: Malicious and Divisive Speech
Background
The Vinaya Pitaka is the collection of ethical rules and disciplinary regulations for Buddhist practitioners, in particular for bhikkhus and bhikkhunis. Among its rules, pesuñña (malicious talebearing, or "divisive speech") is listed as one of the blameworthy actions requiring confession.
The context in which this rule arose reflects situations within the early monastic community, when certain bhikkhus failed to maintain integrity in their communications. Speaking ill of fellow practitioners with the aim of sowing division, damaging reputations, or seeking personal advantage caused fractures within the Sangha. The Buddha recognized that harmony within the community is an essential foundation for the flourishing of the Dhamma, and so he established this rule to safeguard integrity and mutual trust.
Main Content
The rule of pesuñña falls among the offenses requiring confession (Pācittiya). This means that a bhikkhu must directly confess this action to another bhikkhu in order to be cleared of the offense. The constituent factors of this offense include: the presence of malicious intent, the utterance of divisive words, and the purpose of harming another's reputation or breaking apart relationships.
An important distinction to note is that pesuñña is not simply lying or distorting the truth. It is the deliberate speaking of words that are destructive in nature, regardless of whether those words may contain an element of "truth." What is more troubling here lies in the intention: seeking to bring harm, division, or loss of reputation to another. Such words, even when factually accurate in substance, are regarded as a transgression if they are expressed with a malicious purpose.
A bhikkhu who wishes to maintain purity of conduct must avoid conversations and actions involving divisive speech, whether or not he is encouraged to engage in them.
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