Lzh Sarv Bu Vb Pc 7Truthfully Announcing Superhuman Attainments
Pāli / Sanskrit:Bhūtārocana
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Discourse on Truthfully Announcing Superhuman Attainments
Background
This discourse belongs to the Pātimokkha (Pātimokkhasaṃvara) section of the Vinaya Piṭaka in the Theravāda tradition. It concerns the basic ethical rule for bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs, those who have gone forth to practice according to the Buddha’s teaching. The context in which this discourse appeared was when some disciples made false claims about spiritual attainments they had reached, causing disorder in the monastic community and loss of faith among laypeople.
In the tradition of the Pāli Canon, truthfulness (sacca) is regarded as the foundation of ethics. Buddhism emphasizes that speech should follow four criteria: words should be true, necessary, gentle, and spoken at the proper time (satyasamdhāna). False announcement of superhuman attainments, noble spiritual attainments such as meditative concentration, insight of mind, or stages of awakening, is a serious ethical violation within the Sangha community.
Main Content
The discourse states that a bhikkhu or bhikkhunī must not declare or announce superhuman attainments that they have not actually reached. These “superhuman attainments” (Pāli: uttarimanussadhamma) include noble spiritual states such as seeing the true Dharma (Dhamma-dassana), attainment of the noble stages (ariya), the meditative absorptions (jhāna), or supramundane knowledges of reality (abhiññā).
Making false claims about these attainments is a fault (pācittiya), an act requiring public confession. This principle protects the integrity of the Sangha and prevents deception in spiritual practice. It is important not to confuse natural human shortcomings with intentional false claims.
If someone has truly attained superhuman states, they may announce this, but it must be done with consideration, respect, and not for the purpose of self-exaltation or attracting followers. Truthfulness (sacca) must go together with humility (appamāda) and wholesome intention (kalyāņa-cetokkamma).
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