Lzh Dg Bu Pm Pc 64Concealing a Grave Offense
Pāli / Sanskrit:Duṭṭhulla
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
Sutra on Concealing a Grave Offense
Background
This sutra belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, specifically to the Pātimokkha, the code of rules for bhikkhus. The Vinaya Piṭaka was compiled on the basis of the rules established by Buddha Śākyamuni to nurture the monastic community, in order to protect the spiritual purity and independence of the Sangha.
Duṭṭhulla, tentatively translated as “Grave Offense,” is classed among the Pārājika offenses or the most blameworthy violations in Buddhist discipline. The deeper background of this sutra is connected with the principles of “truthfulness” (sacca) and “moral shame and moral dread” (hiri-ottappa), two fundamental ethical qualities that every bhikkhu must cultivate in order to maintain the purity of the precepts.
Main Content
The Duṭṭhulla sutra deals with the situation in which a bhikkhu has committed a grave offense, often connected with the Pārājika offenses: taking life, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying about superhuman powers, or similar acts, yet intentionally conceals this fact from the monastic community.
Concealing such a grave offense is not merely the commission of another fault; it is an act that undermines trust and integrity in oneself and in the entire Sangha. The Buddha taught that concealing an offense is a spiritual dispersal, causing oneself and the community to fall into the darkness of ignorance (avijjā).
The sutra emphasizes that when someone discovers this act of concealment, that bhikkhu is to be disciplined by the community according to the regulations of the Pātimokkha. More importantly, however, the sutra teaches that early remorse and confession of one’s fault are the only way to reestablish integrity and restore one’s honor before the Sangha.
Practical Meaning
For practitioners of early Buddhist Dharma, the Duṭṭhulla sutra carries a profound lesson on honesty and responsibility.
🌏 The Buddhist canon is vast — some sūtras (such as comparative Vinaya across schools, or untranslated Tibetan-canon texts) have to this day NEVER been translated into Vietnamese or English by anyone, scholars included. Rather than leave it blank, Inti AI offers a FAITHFUL summary grounded in the tradition — from the sūtra's title, origin and essence — so you can still reach this rare part of the treasury. Whenever an original translation exists, the app shows the original first.
Translations belong to the translator/source credited above. The bilingual compilation, presentation, and AI translations compiled by Inti are © Inti Foundation. Please attribute when quoting; do not bulk-copy or use commercially without permission.