San Sarv Bu Pm Finot Pc 83Deception
Pāli / Sanskrit:Mohana
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Explanation of the Mohana Sutta (Discourse on Deception)
Background
The Mohana Sutta (Pāli: Mohana, provisionally translated “Deception” or “Concealment”) is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, in the Pācittiya section, offenses requiring acknowledgment and the practice of confession. This discourse arose from a specific event in the life of the early Sangha, when the Buddha discovered that a bhikkhu had used dishonest actions to conceal the truth or deceive fellow practitioners.
The Vinaya Piṭaka was established not only to regulate conduct, but also to protect clarity, trust, and harmony within the Sangha community. Each rule reflects a real situation and a profound purpose: to help disciples practice according to the Dharma in a genuine way.
Main Content
The specific content of this discourse has not yet been fully translated from the original Pāli text, but according to the context of the Vinaya Piṭaka, Mohana (deception) is often related to actions such as lying about one’s abilities or attainments in practice; concealing violations of the discipline or mistaken actions; or using dishonest forms of communication to create a false impression among fellow practitioners.
The Buddha identified the basis of deception as moha (delusion, ignorance), one of the three root poisons of the mind. When the mind is covered by ignorance, the practitioner tries to hide or distort things instead of facing the truth about oneself. This obstructs the path of practice, because the Noble Path (Ariya Magga) requires complete honesty in intention (cetanā), speech (vācā), and action (kamma).
This rule reminds us that deception, whether small or great, interrupts spiritual development. It breaks trust between the practitioner and oneself, and between the practitioner and the community.
Practical Meaning
In modern practice, the Mohana Sutta teaches that truthfulness is the foundation of all progress in the Buddhadharma. A practitioner must begin by acknowledging the shortcomings, fears, and real issues within one’s own mind, without concealment or avoidance.
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