San Mu Bu Pm GBM 3 Pc 83Deception
Pāli / Sanskrit:Mohana
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The Sutta on Deception (Mohana)
Explanation According to the Theravada Tradition
Background
The Mohana sutta, Deception, belongs to the Vinaya Pitaka of the Pali Canon, the domain of legal discipline for bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs in the Sangha community. This is a disciplinary regulation recorded in the Pātimokkha, the fundamental rules established by the holy elders to protect the purity and integrity of the Fourfold Assembly of Disciples.
The content of this regulation arose from specific events in the early history of the Sangha. The Buddha, with profound understanding of human psychology, recognized that the act of deception — whether small or great — is a toxic substance spreading through the community of practice. Deception destroys trust and weakens the ethical foundation of collective practice.
This is regarded as a Pācittiya, an offense requiring confession, a degree of violation that calls for public confession before the Sangha. Although not the gravest offense, it reflects the fundamental importance of truthful speech — one of the key factors of the Eightfold Path.
Main Content
The Mohana sutta prohibits bhikkhus from deceiving, concealing, or misrepresenting the reality of their own moral qualities (dhamma) or states of practice. This is not only verbal lying, but also includes action, gesture, or strategic silence intended to create a false impression.
Specific examples include: claiming to have spiritual attainments such as jhāna, pāramitā, or supernatural abilities that have not actually been attained; pretending to possess noble discipline while acting otherwise; or concealing ethical violations in order to maintain a good image before the Sangha and Buddhist devotees.
The sutta emphasizes that the motive behind deception is often greed (lobha) — the desire to be respected, to receive credit, or to obtain material gains such as food, robes, or lodging. This is first an act of self-deception, because it degrades the spiritual life of the practitioner; each concealment of the truth moves one still farther away from nirvana.
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