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Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅga: Spreading What You Misheard, and Abusing the One Who Told the Truth
Practice

Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅga: Spreading What You Misheard, and Abusing the One Who Told the Truth

Duggahitena dūpadhāritena

Bhaddā Kāpilānī praises a pupil for serving her well and plans to give her a robe, but the pupil grasps it wrongly and gets others to complain. And a group of nuns abuse Venerable Upāli over his birth after he reveals their secret plan to harm Venerable Kappitaka.

7 points

In the Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅga, Vinaya Piṭaka volume 3, rule 8 of the Darkness chapter tells how a pupil of the elder nun Bhaddā Kāpilānī served her teacher attentively. Bhaddā told the other nuns, "This nun serves me respectfully; I will give her a robe." But the pupil grasped it wrongly and got other nuns to complain, saying, "Apparently I don't serve the venerable respectfully; apparently she won't give me a robe." The Pāli uses the words duggahitena dūpadhāritena: by what was wrongly grasped and wrongly held in mind. The Buddha laid down that a bhikkhunī who makes others complain through such a misunderstanding commits a pācittiya.

Rule 2 of the Monastery chapter has a harsher origin story. The group of six nuns built a stupa for a senior nun near the dwelling of Venerable Kappitaka, Upāli's preceptor, and went to weep there. Disturbed by the noise, he broke the stupa apart. Angered, they plotted to harm him. One nun told Upāli, Upāli told Kappitaka, and he hid and was safe. When they learned Upāli had told, they abused him as a bath attendant, a cleaner of filth and a man of low birth. The Buddha laid down that a bhikkhunī who abuses or threatens a monk commits a pācittiya.

Both are rules for bhikkhunīs, but the lessons about speech apply to everyone: check what you've heard before passing it on, and don't turn on the person who revealed the truth to prevent harm.

  1. 1

    Praise taken the wrong way Ayaṃ maṃ ayye bhikkhunī sakkaccaṃ upaṭṭheti

    Bhaddā Kāpilānī told the nuns that this pupil served her respectfully and that she would give her a robe. The story began with praise and an intention to give, but what reached other ears was the opposite.

    Applying it in daily life

    When you hear that someone talked about you, bear in mind that what you heard may be incomplete, and may even be something good you misheard.

  2. 2

    Grasped wrongly, held wrongly, then passed on Duggahitena dūpadhāritena paraṃ ujjhāpeyya

    The pupil told others that apparently she didn't serve her teacher respectfully and wouldn't be given a robe, so they complained. The word-analysis explains this as making others believe something different, understand something different. Getting fully ordained nuns to complain is a pācittiya; getting someone not fully ordained to complain is a dukkaṭa.

    Applying it in daily life

    Before retelling something you heard about a boss or a friend, especially something that will upset others, ask the person concerned directly first.

  3. 3

    "Apparently" doesn't remove responsibility Ahaṃ kirayye ayyaṃ na sakkaccaṃ upaṭṭhemi

    Every sentence the pupil used began with "apparently", as if she were only passing it on. But the Vinaya treats the one who makes others believe wrongly and complain as the one who commits the offence, not the person cited as the source.

    Applying it in daily life

    When forwarding messages in a group chat, adding "I heard that..." doesn't free you from responsibility. If you're not sure, don't send it.

  4. 4

    When a plan is exposed, hunting for who told Amhākaṃ manto saṃhaṭo

    The group of six nuns plotted to harm Kappitaka because he broke the stupa. One nun told Upāli, and he told Kappitaka to hide. When they saw him still walking for alms, what they asked was who had revealed their secret, not whether what they had intended was right.

    Applying it in daily life

    When something you didn't want known comes out, first ask yourself whether it should have been done at all, before asking who spoke.

  5. 5

    Insults about birth and former work Nihīnajacco

    They abused Upāli as a bath attendant, a cleaner of filth and a man of low birth. Upāli had been a barber before going forth. The attack did not touch the substance of the matter at all; it attacked where the person came from.

    Applying it in daily life

    If in an argument you start talking about the other person's background, education or job, recognise that you've left the point, and stop.

  6. 6

    Abusing or threatening Akkoseyya vā paribhāseyya vā

    The word-analysis explains abusing as using any of the ten grounds for abuse, and threatening as showing something frightening. Either, done to a monk, is a pācittiya; done to someone not fully ordained, a dukkaṭa.

    Applying it in daily life

    A threat need not be violent words. A look, a gesture or a message that makes someone afraid can also be a threat. Watch for both.

  7. 7

    Direct speech for someone's good is not abuse Atthapurekkhārāya dhammapurekkhārāya

    The exemption says there is no offence for one speaking with a view to benefit, to the Dhamma or to instruction. The Vinaya separates direct words meant to help someone improve from abuse that comes out of anger.

    Applying it in daily life

    Before criticising someone, ask yourself whether you want them to improve or want them to hurt. If it's the latter, wait.

Try it in daily life

Many rumours don't start with ill intent but with half a sentence misheard and retold through our own feelings. The story of Bhaddā Kāpilānī's pupil shows that even praise can become a cause for complaint if we take it wrongly and talk to others before asking the person concerned.

The story of Upāli warns of another side. When our plan is exposed, the first reaction is often to find out who told and attack them, although the real problem is what we planned. Insulting someone's birth or former occupation only shows we have no argument left on the substance.

The Vinaya leaves a way open: the exemption says there is no offence when speaking with a view to benefit, to the Dhamma or to instruction. Direct speech meant to help someone improve is different from abuse that vents anger.

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