Lzh Mu Bi Pm Pc 35Concealing 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.
EXPLANATION OF THE DUṬṬHULLA DISCOURSE
Concealing a Grave Offense
Background
The Duṭṭhulla discourse (Concealing a Grave Offense) is an important rule in the Vinaya Piṭaka, the disciplinary collection of Theravāda Buddhism. It is recorded in the Pāṭimokkha section (the basic discipline) for bhikkhus, specifically among the Pācittiya offenses, faults requiring confession.
In its historical context, this discourse reflects the early Buddhist monastic setting, where monastics had to live according to strict disciplinary rules in order to protect the integrity of the Sangha. When a monastic commits a grave offense (Duṭṭhulla, that is, a “serious offense”), concealing this truth is not only an act of lying but also undermines the very foundation of the community of practice. Therefore, this rule was laid down to prevent dishonesty and maintain authenticity within the Sangha.
Main Content
The Duṭṭhulla rule states: If a bhikkhu commits a grave offense (such as sexual violations, taking what is not given, killing, or lying about superhuman attainments), and then conceals this truth or fails to confess it before the Sangha, he violates a Pācittiya rule and must undertake public confession and observe the relevant corrective procedures.
The key point of this discourse is not the grave offense itself (which has its own rules and heavier penalties), but the act of concealment, a form of false speech or denial of the truth. This action creates inner falsity and causes the community’s trust to disintegrate.
According to the Vinaya, the purpose of confessing a fault (paṭidesanā) is not to humiliate or punish the individual, but to purify one’s mind and maintain the purity of the Sangha body. A bhikkhu who honestly acknowledges his fault will be supported and guided in the process of repentance, while one who conceals it incurs an additional fault.
Practical Meaning
The Duṭṭhulla discourse teaches us a profound lesson about integrity (sīla) and authenticity in practice.
🌏 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.