The Buddha describes the three individuals—one with speech like dung, one with speech like flowers, and one with speech like honey, and who has speech like dung?, and this is called an individual with speech like dung.

AN 3.28 Speech like Dung

“Tayome, bhikkhave, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. Katame tayo? Gūthabhāṇī, pupphabhāṇī, madhubhāṇī.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, puggalo gūthabhāṇī? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo sabhaggato parisaggato ñātimajjhagato pūgamajjhagato rājakulamajjhagato abhinīto sakkhipuṭṭho: ‘ehambho purisa, yaṁ jānāsi taṁ vadehī’ti. So ajānaṁ āha: ‘jānāmī’ti, jānaṁ āha: ‘na jānāmī’ti, apassaṁ āha: ‘passāmī’ti, passaṁ āha: ‘na passāmī’ti; iti attahetu parahetu āmisakiñcikkhahetu sampajānamusā bhāsitā hoti. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, puggalo gūthabhāṇī.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, puggalo pupphabhāṇī? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo sabhaggato parisaggato ñātimajjhagato pūgamajjhagato rājakulamajjhagato abhinīto sakkhipuṭṭho: ‘ehambho purisa, yaṁ pajānāsi taṁ vadehī’ti, so ajānaṁ āha: ‘na jānāmī’ti, jānaṁ āha: ‘jānāmī’ti, apassaṁ āha: ‘na passāmī’ti, passaṁ āha: ‘passāmī’ti; iti attahetu parahetu āmisakiñcikkhahetu na sampajānamusā bhāsitā hoti. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, puggalo pupphabhāṇī.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, puggalo madhubhāṇī? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo pharusaṁ vācaṁ pahāya pharusāya vācāya paṭivirato hoti; vācā nelā kaṇṇasukhā pemanīyā hadayaṅgamā porī bahujanakantā bahujanamanāpā tathārūpiṁ vācaṁ bhāsitā hoti. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, puggalo madhubhāṇī.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, tayo puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmin”ti.

Aṭṭhamaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Tayome, bhikkhave, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.

“These three individuals are found in the world.

Katame tayo?

What three?

Gūthabhāṇī, pupphabhāṇī, madhubhāṇī.

One with speech like dung, one with speech like flowers, and one with speech like honey.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, puggalo gūthabhāṇī?

And who has speech like dung?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo sabhaggato parisaggato ñātimajjhagato pūgamajjhagato rājakulamajjhagato abhinīto sakkhipuṭṭho: ‘ehambho purisa, yaṁ jānāsi taṁ vadehī’ti. So ajānaṁ āha: ‘jānāmī’ti, jānaṁ āha: ‘na jānāmī’ti, apassaṁ āha: ‘passāmī’ti, passaṁ āha: ‘na passāmī’ti; iti attahetu parahetu āmisakiñcikkhahetu sampajānamusā bhāsitā hoti.

It’s an individual who is summoned to a council, an assembly, a family meeting, a guild, or to the royal court, and asked to bear witness: ‘Please, my man, say what you know.’ Not knowing, they say ‘I know.’ Knowing, they say ‘I don’t know.’ Not seeing, they say ‘I see.’ And seeing, they say ‘I don’t see.’ So they deliberately lie for the sake of themselves or another, or for some trivial worldly reason.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, puggalo gūthabhāṇī.

This is called an individual with speech like dung.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, puggalo pupphabhāṇī?

And who has speech like flowers?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo sabhaggato parisaggato ñātimajjhagato pūgamajjhagato rājakulamajjhagato abhinīto sakkhipuṭṭho: ‘ehambho purisa, yaṁ pajānāsi taṁ vadehī’ti, so ajānaṁ āha: ‘na jānāmī’ti, jānaṁ āha: ‘jānāmī’ti, apassaṁ āha: ‘na passāmī’ti, passaṁ āha: ‘passāmī’ti; iti attahetu parahetu āmisakiñcikkhahetu na sampajānamusā bhāsitā hoti.

It’s an individual who is summoned to a council, an assembly, a family meeting, a guild, or to the royal court, and asked to bear witness: ‘Please, my man, say what you know.’ Not knowing, they say ‘I don’t know.’ Knowing, they say ‘I know.’ Not seeing, they say ‘I don’t see.’ And seeing, they say ‘I see.’ So they don’t deliberately lie for the sake of themselves or another, or for some trivial worldly reason.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, puggalo pupphabhāṇī.

This is called an individual with speech like flowers.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, puggalo madhubhāṇī?

And who has speech like honey?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo pharusaṁ vācaṁ pahāya pharusāya vācāya paṭivirato hoti;

It’s an individual who gives up harsh speech.

vācā nelā kaṇṇasukhā pemanīyā hadayaṅgamā porī bahujanakantā bahujanamanāpā tathārūpiṁ vācaṁ bhāsitā hoti.

They speak in a way that’s mellow, pleasing to the ear, endearing, going to the heart, polite, likable and agreeable to the people.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, puggalo madhubhāṇī.

This is called an individual with speech like honey.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, tayo puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmin”ti.

These are the three individuals found in the world.”

Aṭṭhamaṁ.

Qualities:

Dearness

Dearness

A mental quality of holding something or someone as 'dear' through attachment, which binds the mind with craving and possessiveness. It is the external fixation upon what the mind clings to, often giving rise to envy, quarrels, and sorrow.

Also known as: beloved, cherished, pleasing
Pāli: piya
View all discourses →
Wisdom

Wisdom

Lived understanding and sound judgment that steers the mind away from suffering, distinct from mere accumulation of facts.

Also known as: (of a person) wise, astute, intelligent, learned, skilled, firm, stable, steadfast, an experiential understanding of the four noble truths
Pāli: paññā, medhā, dhīra, paṇḍita, asammūḷha
View all discourses →

Last updated on July 27, 2026