Lzh Mi Bu Pm Pc 74Concealing a Grave Offense

Teaching on Concealing a Serious Fault (Duṭṭhulla)

Background

The Duṭṭhulla discourse belongs to the Vinaya Pitaka of the Theravāda tradition, in the Pātimokkha section. These are the basic rules of conduct for the monastic community, established by the Buddha Shakyamuni to maintain pure discipline and harmony in the Sangha.

The Duṭṭhulla rule, translated as "concealing a grave fault," arose from specific events in the early history of Buddhism. As the Sangha developed and the character of people changed, some monastics did not obey instructions and even concealed their own faults or those of other monastics. This condition disturbed discipline and the trust of the religious community. For this reason, the Buddha established this rule in order to protect the purity of the Dharma.

The term "Duṭṭhulla" in Pāli means a grave action or fault, and concealing it is a further violation. This is part of the self-regulating mechanism used by the Sangha to maintain ethics and internal discipline.

Main Content

The Duṭṭhulla rule stipulates that if a monk or nun commits a serious fault (duṭṭhulla kamma), knows that he or she has committed it, but deliberately conceals it, does not confess, and does not seek to make amends or correct it, then the act of concealment itself becomes a violation of the discipline.

Specifically, the grave faults referred to here include violations connected with the five basic precepts: killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, false speech, and drinking alcohol. Concealing these violations is not only hiding the truth, but also committing an additional fault, reflecting shamelessness and lack of monastic conduct.

This rule is different from the actual commission of a fault. If a monastic commits a grave fault but actively confesses, seeks support from teachers or the Sangha, then there remains a path of correction and confession.