Facts Concerning "Slandering, Harch Speech, and Vain Talk"

Facts Concerning
“Pisuṇavācā, Pharusavācā, and Samphappalāpavācā”

Pisuṇavācā

Slandering means talking ill of one person to another person with the intention of causing a chasm between the two persons who are on friendly terms at the moment. One must refrain from slandering.

Five Factors Constituting Pisuṇavācā

1. There are two persons who are one friendly terms.

2. One has the intention of causing a chasm between them and winning their love.

3. One makes the effort to cause a chasm.

4. The two persons understand what has been spoken.

5. The two persons part from each other terminating their friendship.

Evil Consequences of Pisuṇavācā

One who has slandered to cause a chasm between two friends will be reborn in the four woeful abodes after his death. He will have to suffer very miserably for a long time. Even when he regains the human existence, he will suffer the following evil consequences.

1. He will have disagreement with friends and beloved one.

2. He will die at the hands of others.

3. He has very few friends and followers.

4. He has no confidence in the dhamma of the virtuous.

5. He does not enjoy permanent friendship.

6. He is hated by others.

7. He has a mean and wicked mentality.

(Those who abstain from slandering will enjoy the benefits which are the opposite of the evil consequences.)

Pharusavācā

Abusive language, vulgarities, coarse language, harsh speech are called Pharusavācā.

Harsh words which parents might use sometimes to admonish their children do not amount to harsh speech as not bad intention is involved. Only when there is bad intention in speaking harsh words, can it be called harsh speech. Although the King may speak gently, “Let him sleep in peace”, in giving the order to kill a criminal, his speech is “Pharusavācā” because there exists a bad intention behind these words.

Three Factors Constituting Pharusavācā

1. Someone is abused by harsh speech.

2. The speaker is angry.

3. The speaker uses harsh speech.

Evil Consequences of Pharusavācā

One who uses harsh speech will be reborn in the four woeful abodes (Apāya) after his death and will have to suffer miserably for a long time. Even when he is liberated from there and reborn in the human abode, he will suffer the following evil consequences.

1. He will hear unpleasant sounds.

2. He will be hated by many.

3. He will be blamed and censured by others.

4. He will have to live in misery.

5. He will not have a good voice.

6. He will be a deaf and dumb person.

The Benefits of Refraining from Pharusavācā

1. He is loved by human beings.

2. He can delight human beings and make them appreciate him.

3. He can live in peace and happiness.

4. The words he says are pleasant.

5. He is praised by many.

6. He possesses a pleasant voice with eight fine qualities.

Samphappalāpavācā

Samphappalāpavācā is the evil volition to talk frivolously. Vain talk is not beneficial to oneself as well as to others. It is Samphappalāpavācā.

In the “Paramatthacakkhu Treatise”, the Venerable Dipeyin Sayadaw, concerning Samphappalāpa said thus: “vain talk means saying some stories such as King Rama’s queen named Sītādevī was taken away by the great ogre, Dassāgīri; or the golden rabbit and the golden tiger went to the forest to reap thatch. Because these stories have not really occurred in the past and they are created by some story tellers in order to increase lust, anger and delusion in others, they have no essence just as chaff has not grain. They are called Samphappalāpavācā. On the other hands, if such stories are told to illustrate certain points in preaching a discourse or in admonishing others it cannot be said that one commits Samphappalāpavācā”.

Three Factors Constituting Samphappalāpavācā

1. One has the intention to speak vain talk.

2. One speaks vain talk.

3. The others believe what one speaks.

The Evil Consequences of Samphappalāpavācā

One who speaks vain talks will be reborn in the four woeful abodes after his death. There he will have to suffer very miserably for a long time. Even when he is liberated from and regains the human existence, he will suffer the following evil consequences:

1. Others do not believe what he speaks.

2. He is hated by others.

3. He is disrespected by others.

4. He does not know how to speak to others in order to make them believe him.

5. He does not enjoy good luck.

6. He has little influence, power and authority.

7. He has poor intelligence.