Often when I write a blog post critical of a misbehaving monk or teacher, someone objects on the grounds of Right Speech. The historical Buddha taught that Right Speech has four basic components:
- Abstaining from lies and deception.
- Not slandering others or speaking in a way that causes disharmony or enmity.
- Abstaining from rude, impolite or abusive language.
- Not indulging in idle talk or gossip.
When prominent Buddhist monks or teachers are caught up in some kind of scandal, it's hard to know how to talk about it without falling short of Right Speech. But the Pali Canon records an episode in which the Buddha himself seems to have broken his own rules. Let's look at that.
This story involves Devadatta, a disciple of the Buddha who turned against him, according to the Pali Vinaya. In Devadatta's defense, a version of the Vinaya from another language tradition has no such story. Scholars today think the story of the bad Devadatta may have been added later as part of some sectarian feud. I suppose Devadatta's story could have been whitewashed by the other folks, though.
Assuming the Devadatta story grew out of actual events -- Devadatta was very proud and thought he should be the leader of the monastic sangha. One day he approached the Buddha and suggested it was time for the Tathagata to retire. He, Devadatta, was just the guy to take over the Buddha's duties.
The Buddha said no. Devadatta asked again, and again. At last the Buddha said, in effect, that he wouldn't turn the sangha over to his best monks, much less to Devadatta, who was no more worthy than a spitwad vomited out of one's throat. It was harsh.
This humiliated and infuriated Devadatta, who launched a number of plots to murder the Buddha. While he was off plotting, the Buddha told the other monks that Devadatta was incurable and headed for a hell realm (Devadatta Sutta, Anguttara Nikaya 8.7).
The Buddha's words to and about Devadatta were challenged later by Prince Abhaya, who asked the Buddha how he could tell people to not use abusive language and then tell Devadatta that he was no better than a spitwad (Abhaya Sutta, Majjhima Nikaya 58). The Buddha replied that Devadatta's wrong views were like a stone stuck in the throat of a baby. Of course, one would do anything it took to get the stone out, even if it hurt.
Knowing when to speak and when to keep silence takes insight, and probably we all get it wrong sometimes. I tend to think that when people are doing harm it's better to speak up. That said, the spitwad remark still seems unduly harsh, but maybe you had to be there.
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