Lzh Mu Bu Pm Pc 83Deception
Pāli / Sanskrit:Mohana
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The Mohana Sutta: The Mind’s Retreat and Awakening
Background
The Mohana Sutta appears in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, especially among rules related to self-denial and honesty within the community of monks and nuns. The word “mohana” in Pāli means “deception” or “covering over,” reflecting the state of a mind deluded by ignorance (avijjā). This discourse was recorded to guide the Buddha’s early disciples to understand clearly the danger of falsehood, especially falsehood toward oneself on the path of training.
In the context of Theravāda teaching, deception is not only an outward action, but also a deep pathological state of mind reflecting lack of understanding of the nature of suffering (dukkha) and its causes. This is why the Vinaya Piṭaka values moral shame (hiri) and moral dread (ottappa), qualities opposite to self-deception.
Main Content
The Mohana Sutta is most commonly known in Vinaya materials through specific cases: when a bhikkhu or nun conceals an offense, takes what has not been given, or lies about spiritual attainments they have not reached. These are profound violations of the law because they reflect a fundamental attitude: the refusal of reality.
According to Theravāda theory, deception arises from the three poisons: greed (lobha), hatred (dosa), and delusion (moha). Delusion or ignorance is the root: the person who performs the deceptive act believes that he can conceal the truth or deceive himself without consequences. This discourse emphasizes that deceiving others is in fact self-deception, because it obstructs the path of right understanding (sammā-diṭṭhi), the first factor of the Noble Eightfold Path.
When a trainee lies about his attainments, he not only violates the Sangha’s discipline, but also cuts off the thread leading toward awakening.
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