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Truth
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Pārājika is the severest offence, committed by a monk. It is the fourth pārajika which deals with the transgression of this precept. As has already been said, that simple, deliberate lies are less severe kinds of falsehood, according to the Vinaya, than showing disrespect and talking lightly of Dhamma, and pretending to possess miraculous powers or other extraordinary qualifications. If a monk boasts of possessing sufficient knowledge and insight though not possessing them fully, yet he says 'I know it or I see this' he is accused of pārājika even if he is desirous of being purified, and is no longer held in the communion.
Next to 'pārājika' but severest of all other offences in the Vinaya is Samghadisesa offence. A monk commits a 'samghādisesa' offence when he falsely accuses a Bhikkhu of pārājika offence (e. g. of misbehaviour, theft or murder) while he has not committed it or has committed only a minor offence.3 Likewise in an opposite case too, the monk commits a samghadisesa offence when he tries to hide the offence committed by another monk or even endeavours for the minimization of his punishment. S
Then comes a still less rigorous kind of offence in this connection known as 'pācittiya'. In this category many minor offences are included regarding the violation of this precept. As for example a monk is accused of pācittiya offence when he accuses falsely another monk or nun of a samghadisesa offence without any basis;4 'without basis' here means
यो पन भिक्खु अनभिजानं उत्तरिमनुस्सधम्म अत्तपनायिकं अलमरिय ATTEFA TETRZU....fa fH fa fi fosfa aa.... अजानमेवं आवुसो अवचं जानामि अपस्सं पस्सामि । तुच्छ मुसा विलपि ति अयं पि पाराजिको होति असंवासोऽति ।।
--Pārājika, p. 113. 2. Pārājika, pp. 244, 253, 254, 255. 3. Ibid., p. 255. 4. यो पन भिक्खु भिक्खु अमूलकेन संघादिसेसेन अनुद्धंसेय्य पाचित्तियं ।
| Pacittiya, 76, p. 199.
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