ABSTRACT

          This thesis contains three objectives as follows: (1) to study the meaning the categories of misconduct by speech (2) to study ecclesiastical offences related to misconduct by speech in Bhikkhu Pãtimokkha (3) to analyze the cause the Buddha regulated Sikkhãpada (a disciplinary rule of morality) related misconduct by speech in Bhikkhu Pãtimokkha. 

The finding s of the research revealed that misconduct by speech means misbehavior in words, bad behavior in speech, behavior that causes damages to anybody, sinful speech, verbal action, immoral communication by speech, speech that is not accepted by society. Misconduct by speech is devided into four categories includes false speech, harsh speech, malicious speech and frivolous talk.

There are seven categories of ecclesiastical offence in Bhikku Pãtimokkha, they

are; Parajika, Sanghadisesa, Aniyata, Thullaccaya, Pacittiya, Dukkata and Dubbãsita, but the ecclesiastical offence related to misconduct by speech in Bhikku Pãtimokkha contains only three categories include Parajika, Sanghadisesa and Pacittiya, these offences are misconduct by speech in type of false speech. The offences of Sanghadisesa and Pacittiya in addition to be misconduct by speech in type of malicious speech, they are misconduct by speech in type of harsh speech as well.

The cause that the Buddha regulated Sikkhãpada (a disciplinary rule of morality) in addition to aim to protect the religious life of the Buddhist monks and the Order to have well-being and to prevent Buddhist monks from making sensual and rude speech with woman, the Buddha also regulated Sikkãpada to prevent Buddhist monks from malevolence, harshness  and violence among them, and most of all, to some people those who didn’t have faith in Buddhism to have faith in Buddhism and maintain the Doctrine and the Discipline to be stable and permanent forever.