Xct Mu Bi Pm Pc 66Deception
Pāli / Sanskrit:Mohana
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The Mohana Discourse (Discourse on Deception)
Context
The Mohana discourse lies in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, specifically in the Pātimokkha, the initial code of discipline, and belongs to the Pācittiya category, offenses requiring confession. This is one of the Vinaya discourses concerning the moral character of monks and nuns in the Sangha, the community of those gone forth.
The Vinaya Piṭaka was compiled in order to guide bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs to live according to the True Dharma taught by the Buddha. Vinaya discourses such as Mohana were compiled on the basis of specific situations that occurred in the renunciant community, and the Buddha laid down rules to protect the purity of the Sangha as well as to develop basic ethical qualities.
Main Content
The Mohana discourse (Mohana = deception, concealment, making obscure) concerns a bhikkhu or bhikkhunī deliberately deceiving, concealing, or distorting the truth about himself or herself or about his or her actions. Specifically, this rule prohibits renunciants from using deceitful actions to:
Conceal their faults or violations in order to avoid blame or loss of honor; pretend to possess powers, talents, or attainments that they do not have in order to increase prestige or attract offerings; lie about their observance of training in morality (sīla), concentration (samādhi), or wisdom (paññā) in order to be respected.
According to the spirit of the Theravāda Vinaya Piṭaka, any act of deception, however small, is regarded as a Pācittiya violation - an offense that must be confessed before the Sangha. This clearly expresses the requirement of absolute honesty in the life of those gone forth, because they have left the world behind in order to seek liberation.
Practical Meaning
The Mohana discourse teaches that deception is the root of all suffering and doubt. In the practice of the Buddha-Dharma, especially in the Sangha, honesty is not merely an outward act, but an expression of faith in the Dharma and in one’s own process of practice.
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