Lzh Dg Bi Pm Pc 49Concealing a Grave Offense
Pāli / Sanskrit:Duṭṭhulla
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Discourse on Concealing a Grave Offense (Duṭṭhulla)
Background
The Duṭṭhulla discourse is found in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the Pātimokkha section of the code for bhikkhus. In the Theravāda tradition, these training rules are regarded as the foundation of Buddhist virtue. The Vinaya Piṭaka was established to maintain harmony and purity in the monastic community, and to educate those practicing on the path of awakening.
The Duṭṭhulla discourse concerns an independent legal matter: concealing and failing to disclose grave offenses (duṭṭhulla-āpatti). The background arose when bhikkhus violated the Pātimokkha prohibitions but deliberately concealed them, did not confess, or did not disclose them before the Sangha in order to seek correction. This is a serious issue because it concerns honesty, integrity, and trust within the community of practice.
Main Content
The rule concerning the concealment of grave offenses is recorded in the Pātimokkha in order to protect the ethics of the Sangha. When a bhikkhu violates a prohibition that the Vinaya Piṭaka classifies as “Pārājika” or “Saṅghādisesa,” offenses requiring disclosure and correction according to procedure, deliberately concealing the truth in order to avoid review or sanction is itself considered another isolated and wrongful act.
Bhikkhus who conceal their faults, whatever those faults may be, do not follow the spirit of Buddhist practice. The Buddhist spirit is based on clarity, self-awareness, and the ability to face the consequences of one’s actions. Concealing the truth is a dishonest act, harmful to the environment of practice and destructive of mutual trust within the Sangha.
This rule is also connected with the resolve to make amends. If a bhikkhu is willing to acknowledge his fault, disclose it before the Sangha, and carry out the prescribed process of correction, he still has the opportunity to restore his practice and trust. By contrast, concealment is a refusal to accept consequences and a refusal of the opportunity to develop morally.
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