Lzh Sarv Bi Vb Pc 1Lying

SUTRA ON LYING (MUSĀVĀDA)

Background

The Sutra on Lying belongs to the Sarvāstivāda Vinaya, the Vinaya Piṭaka of the foundational tradition, and is one of the basic prohibitions in Buddhist discipline. In the Theravāda tradition, the Pāli Canon, lying is regarded as a serious breach of the rule, destroying the foundation of trust and the purity of the monastic community (Saṅgha).

This Vinaya was compiled after the Blessed Buddha discussed with his disciples various acts of violation and their consequences. The Buddha's way of establishing the discipline was not an authoritarian method, but through the acknowledgment of the Saṅgha, each specific situation being established as a rule.

Main Content

Musāvāda, lying or untrue speech, is defined as when a person deliberately speaks words that are not true with the intention to deceive. In the Vinaya context, this prohibition applies especially to bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs.

The sutra establishes that lying differs from other speech because of the purpose and intention (cetanā) of the speaker. Speaking an unpleasant truth is not always lying; nor is speaking something pleasant always truth. The decisive factor is whether the speaker intentionally reports an event falsely.

The consequences of violating this prohibition are clearly described: a monastic who violates it must undergo the discipline of the Saṅgha, beginning with public acknowledgment of fault (Paṭidesanā) and extending to more complex forms of penance depending on the seriousness of the violation. It reflects not only an individual's action but also its effect on the unity and honor of the community.

Practical Meaning

The Sutra on Lying lays the foundation for truthfulness (Saccikaraṇa), one of the important factors in Buddhist practice. Lying destroys relationships among monastics, creating suspicion and division in the Saṅgha. Therefore, truthfulness in speech is not only a disciplinary rule but an expression of bodhicitta and pure ethics.