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P. 142
122
On the other hand, there are some religious who have every chance of being able to confess well. Bh recognises ten qualities in them:
jāi-kula-viņaya-nāne damsaṇa-caranehi sampanno
khante dante amar apacchatavi ya hoti bodhavve (Bh 1, 339 b-340 a)
They are of good birth on the mother's side (jati) and of good family on the father's (kula). They possess education, knowledge of the doctrine (which permits them to confess correctly), faith in the purifying powers of confession, and good conduct (which will enable them to avoid relapsing into error). They tolerate remonstrances, control their senses, and are upright; and, instead of regretting having confessed, they rejoice at the thought that they have acquired merit (cf. Deo, History, p. 152).
One is recommended to make the confession in a straight-forward manner, like the child who entrusts himself to his parents :
Jaha balo jampanto kajja-m-akajjam ca ujjuyam bhaṇai
tam taha aloejja māyā-maya-vippamukko u
(quoted ad Vav Bh 1, 133-Nis Bh 6392-Ohanijj 801; nearly identical with Aurapaccakkhāna 32 and Mahāpaccakkhāṇa 22 (cf Bhattapaccakkhāṇa 22); to which can be compared Mahānisiha I, 199 a* :
bhūne muddhaḍage bale jaha palave ujju-paddharam).1
Monks however sometimes have recourse to various strategems. The commentaries catalogue ten of these, which are also recognised by Than., Viyah (cf. Lehre § 158; Deo, History 153). They consist in ingratiating oneself with the confessor; choosing a confessor who is indulgent; confessing only the misdeeds committed in the guru's sight; confining oneself to grave offences, or to light offences; speaking in an inaudible voice; or speaking so loudly that one can be heard by inexperienced religious; confessing to several teachers in succession; confessing to an inexperienced teacher; or confessing to a teacher who, since he is guilty of the same offence, is led to punish it less severely :
aṇukampiya aṇumāniya jam-dittham bayaram ca suhumam vā chanham saddâulayam bahu-jana avvatta tas-sevi
(VavBh 1, 341 = Nis IV, p. 363).
The Mahanistha gives many other examples of bad confessions I, §12*; 144 ff.*; 154 ff.*.).
Faults committed during the confession must be expiated in their tura (Paz 1, 17 M.). The dishonesty (called "the second folly of the sinner")
1. On the "Child Behaviour," cf. H. NAKAMURA, The Adyar Library Bull. (Dr. V. Raghavan Felicit. Vol) 31-32, 1937-68, P. 219 (and n. 4)-220
The edition gives hampaitte arumeraitta, which does not fit into the arya. Professor Schubring has given me the variants here adopted, which appear in a quotation of the Anariradharmamita, and which are satisfactory from a prosodic point of view.
