Lzh Sarv Bi Vb Pc 35Concealing a Grave Offense

DUṬṬHULLA SUTRA: CONCERNING A GRAVE OFFENSE

Background

The Duṭṭhulla rule, sometimes rendered “Concealing a Grave Offense,” belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of early Buddhism. It is part of the system of training in the Dharma for the community of monks and nuns, serving to protect the purity of the Sangha and to ensure that violations of moral conduct are dealt with openly and transparently.

The Vinaya Piṭaka was recorded from the great councils held after the Buddha’s nirvana, in which the Sangha established the prohibitions of the Pātimokkha to maintain discipline and harmony. The Duṭṭhulla rule reflects a fundamental principle: grave offenses (duṭṭhulla) committed by members of the Sangha must not be concealed or covered up.

Main Content

The specific content of this rule has not been fully translated, but according to the context of the Vinaya Piṭaka, the Duṭṭhulla rule concerns violations related to hiding, protecting, or failing to report grave offenses committed by monastics.

“Grave offenses” (duṭṭhulla) in the Pātimokkha include violations that destroy the standing of a monastic, such as Pārājika offenses, first-class offenses that lead to expulsion from the Sangha. This rule emphasizes that if a monastic clearly knows of such an offense but deliberately conceals it and does not report it to the Sangha, that person will also be subject to censure.

The core principle is honesty, openness, and transparency in observing the Vinaya. Monastics are expected to follow the highest standards of moral conduct, and concealing violations undermines the trust and purity of the entire Sangha. This rule functions to prevent cover-ups, the protection of offenders, and the creation of conditions in which wrongful acts are treated as acceptable.