The Buddha shares in brief the four kinds of verbal misconduct - 1) lying, 2) divisive speech, 3) harsh speech, and 4) frivolous chatter.

Duccarita sutta - Misconduct

“Bhikkhus, there are these four kinds of |verbal misconduct::misbehavior in speech [vacīduccarit]|. What four?

1 |False speech::lying [musāvāda]|,

2 |divisive speech::slanderous, defamatory, malicious speech [pisuṇa vācā]|,

3 |harsh speech::abusive, rude, or unkind way of speaking [pharusā vācā]|,

4 |frivolous chatter::meaningless talk, gossip, idle speech [samphappalāpa]|.

These are the four kinds of verbal misconduct.”

Last updated on March 27, 2025

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