Lzh Dg Bu Vb Pc 1Lying

– DHARMAGUPTAKA VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

1. INTENTIONAL FALSE SPEECH

A. ORIGIN

At one time, the Buddha was staying among the Śākyas at Śuktikā, in the Nyagrodha Park, in the city of Kapilavastu. At that time, among the Śākya clan there was a young man of the Śākya family named Elephant-Power, who was skilled in debate and would regularly engage in discussion with brahmin outsiders. Whenever he was defeated, he would reverse what he had said before. When questioned about this matter in the midst of the Saṅgha, Elephant-Power likewise reversed what he had said before. In the midst of the assembly, though knowing, he would still speak falsely. The brahmins would often reproach him, saying:

"The disciples of the Śākya śramaṇa have no shame or remorse; they constantly speak false words, yet they claim of themselves that they practice the true Dharma. But how is this the true Dharma? When defeated in debate, they immediately reverse what they said before. When questioned in the midst of the Saṅgha, they also reverse what they said before. In the midst of the assembly, though knowing, they still speak falsely."

Among the monks who heard this, there were those who were few in desire and content, who practiced the dhūta qualities, who were fond of learning the precepts, and who possessed shame and remorse; they reproved the Śākya youth Elephant-Power:

"How can you engage in discussion with brahmin outsiders, and when defeated, immediately reverse what you said before? When questioned about this matter in the midst of the Saṅgha, you also reverse what you said before. In the midst of the assembly, though knowing, you still speak falsely."

The monks then went to where the Blessed One was, paid homage at his feet, sat to one side, and reported this matter to the Blessed One in full. The Blessed One, on account of this matter, assembled the community of monks and rebuked the monk Elephant-Power:

"What you have done is wrong; it is not proper conduct, not the way of a śramaṇa, not pure practice, not conforming behavior—you have done what should not be done.

Monk Elephant-Power, how could you engage in discussion with brahmin outsiders, and when defeated, immediately reverse what you said before? When questioned about this matter in the midst of the Saṅgha, you also reversed what you said before. In the midst of the assembly, though knowing, you still spoke falsely."

At that time, the Blessed One, having rebuked the monk Elephant-Power with various skillful means, said to the monks:

"This person is foolish; he is one who plants many seeds of the defiled streams, and he is the first to commit this offense. From this day forward, I shall establish the precept for the monks, for ten reasons, up to and including the reason that the true Dharma may long endure."

The precept should be stated as follows:

Whatever monk, knowing, speaks falsely—pācittiya.

B. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE OFFENSE

Monk: as defined above.

Knowing, speaks falsely: not having seen, he says he has seen; not having heard, he says he has heard; not having perceived by contact, he says he has perceived by contact; not having known, he says he has known; having seen, he says he has not seen; having heard, he says he has not heard; having perceived by contact, he says he has not perceived by contact; having known, he says he has not known.

Seen: seen by the consciousness of the eye.

Heard: heard by the consciousness of the ear.

Contact: perceived by contact through the three consciousnesses: of the nose, tongue, and body.

Known: known by the mind-consciousness.

Not seen: excluding the eye-consciousness, the remaining five consciousnesses.

Not heard: excluding the ear-consciousness, the remaining five consciousnesses.

Not perceived by contact: excluding the three consciousnesses, the remaining—the eye, ear, and mind.

Not known: excluding the mind-consciousness, the remaining five consciousnesses.

If a person has not seen, not heard, not perceived by contact, not known, yet says: "I have seen, heard, perceived by contact, known"—knowing, he speaks falsely: pācittiya.

If a person has not seen, not heard, not perceived by contact, not known, yet among those he has the perception of having seen, of having heard, of having perceived by contact, of having known, but says: "I have not seen, not heard, not perceived by contact, not known"—knowing, he speaks falsely: pācittiya.

If a person has not seen, not heard, not perceived by contact, not known, yet in his mind there arises doubt, but he says: "I have no doubt," and then says: "I have seen, I have heard, I have perceived by contact, I have known"—knowing, he speaks falsely: pācittiya.

If a person has not seen, not heard, not perceived by contact, not known, yet in his mind there is doubt, but he says: "In this matter I have no doubt," and then says: "I have not seen, not heard, not perceived by contact, not known"—knowing, he speaks falsely: pācittiya.

If a person has not seen, not heard, not perceived by contact, not known, yet in his mind there is no doubt, but he says: "I have doubt that I have seen, I have perceived by contact, I have known"—knowing, he speaks falsely: pācittiya.

In his mind there is no doubt that "I have not seen, I have not heard, I have not perceived by contact, I have not known," but he says: "I have doubt that I have not seen, not heard, not perceived by contact, not known"—knowing, he speaks falsely: pācittiya.

This should be elaborated: Previously, the thought arose: "I will speak falsely." While speaking falsely, one knows one is speaking falsely; having spoken falsely, one knows one has spoken falsely—intentionally speaking falsely: pācittiya.

Previously, the thought arose: "I will speak falsely." While speaking falsely, one knows one is speaking falsely; having spoken falsely, one does not recall that one has spoken falsely—intentionally speaking falsely: pācittiya.

Previously, the thought did not arise: "I will speak falsely." While speaking falsely, one knows one is speaking falsely; having spoken falsely, one knows one has spoken falsely—intentionally speaking falsely: pācittiya.

Previously, the thought of speaking falsely did not arise. While speaking falsely, one knows one is speaking falsely; having spoken falsely, one does not recall that one has spoken falsely—intentionally speaking falsely: pācittiya.

What was seen is one thing, what was discerned is another, what was desired is another, what was contacted is another, what was perceived is another, what was thought by the mind is another—all such matters constitute false speech.

In the midst of the great assembly, knowing, one still speaks falsely: pācittiya. If spoken clearly, the offense is pācittiya; if spoken unclearly, the offense is duṣkṛta. During the recitation of the precepts, up to the third asking, if one recalls that one has an offense but does not declare it, the offense is duṣkṛta.

For a bhikṣuṇī: pācittiya. For a śikṣamāṇā, a śrāmaṇera, a śrāmaṇerī: duṣkṛta. These are called offenses.

Non-offense: not having seen, one says one has not seen; not having heard, one says one has not heard; not having perceived by contact, one says one has not perceived by contact; not having known, one says one has not known; having seen, one says one has seen; having heard, one says one has heard; having perceived by contact, one says one has perceived by contact; having known, one says one has known; having the perception of having seen, one says one has seen—there is no offense.

Those who do not offend: the first offender when the precept had not yet been established; one who is mentally deranged; one whose mind is disturbed; one afflicted with pain and torment.

Vietnamese translation: Bhikṣu Thích Đỗng Minh and Thích Đức Thắng. DHARMAGUPTAKA VINAYA, PART ONE

Chinese translation: Tripiṭaka master Buddhayaśas and Zhu Fonian.

Revision and annotation: Bhikṣu Thích Nguyên Chứng

(Chinese translation, fascicles 1–21; Vietnamese translation, fascicles 1–2)

Dharma Publishing Committee, 2002