San Sarv Bu Pm Finot Pc 7Truthfully Announcing Superhuman Attainments
Pāli / Sanskrit:Bhūtārocana
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Discourse on Truthfully Announcing Superhuman Attainments (Bhūtārocana)
Background
The Bhūtārocana Discourse is found in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically among the rules of offence (Pātimokkha) related to the conduct of falsely speaking about superhuman attainments. This code was recorded in order to protect the purity of the Buddhist Sangha community and maintain the trust of the Buddhist community.
In the social context of India during the Buddha's lifetime, many non-Buddhist ascetics boasted of supernatural powers and spiritual attainments in order to attract followers and power. The Buddha saw that bhikkhunīs or bhikkhus belonging to the Buddhist tradition could also fall into this trap. Therefore, he established a strict rule: one must not lie about superhuman attainments (aññā), such as the ability to see heavenly beings, hear sounds from afar, read the thoughts of others, or possess other mystical powers.
Main Content
The Bhūtārocana Discourse states that any monk or nun who truthfully announces superhuman attainments that he or she does not actually possess commits a Pārājika offence, an irremediable offence. This is regarded as one of the gravest offences in the Vinaya Piṭaka.
Specifically, this discourse identifies that "truthful announcement" (ārocana) has a special nature. It is not merely ordinary lying. The offender must know clearly that he or she does not possess those powers, yet still clearly and deliberately announces possession of them, with the purpose of deceiving others in order to increase fame, possessions, or influence.
The superhuman attainments mentioned include the ability to see deities, hear distant sounds, know the minds of others, recollect past contacts, or other attainments related to the levels of meditation (jhāna) and supernormal powers (abhiññā). If a monk or nun lies about any such power or attainment, he or she is expelled from the Sangha community without opportunity for restoration.
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