Lzh Sarv Bu Pm 2 Pc 1Lying
Pāli / Sanskrit:Musāvāda
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
SUTTA ON LYING (MUSĀVĀDA)
Background
The Sutta on Lying belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition, recorded among the prohibitions (Pātimokkha) of the monastic community. This sutta reflects the Buddha’s legislation on the ethics of speech, built upon the foundation of the basic Five Precepts (pañcasīla), especially the fourth precept: not lying.
In the historical context of early Buddhism, the Vinaya Piṭaka was established to maintain a harmonious and morally pure Sangha of monks and nuns. Each prohibition in the Pātimokkha originated from specific events when disciples committed offenses, causing the Buddha to establish rules for correction. The Sutta on Lying is regarded as one of the most basic prohibitions, because it places truthfulness (sacca) at the forefront of the practice of those gone forth.
Main Content
The Sutta on Lying clearly defines lying not as an unintentionally inaccurate description, but as intentionally stating what is untrue (abhinivesa-vacana) with the intention to conceal or deceive. According to the Theravāda Vinaya Piṭaka, a violation is considered complete when four conditions are fulfilled: the offender is a member of the monastic community, they speak something entirely contrary to the truth, they intend to mislead, and the result is that the listener believes the false statement.
The sutta emphasizes that lying, whoever it is directed toward, is regarded as an act that directly harms trust within the monastic community and the Dharma. A monk or nun who lies is seen as having destroyed their own sacred purity and as no longer worthy of the title of one gone forth. This differs clearly from other wrongful actions, because it directly affects the confidence of the community.
In addition, the sutta clarifies the distinction between outright lying and skillful speech for the benefit of others (upāya-vaca), although such speech must also be carefully governed.
🌏 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.