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ÂKÂRÂNGA SUTRA.
praise mixed with blame, blame mixed with praise; past, present, or future (tenses), the first and second, or third (person). If one thinks it necessary to speak in the singular, he should speak in the singular; if he thinks it necessary to speak in the plural, he should speak in the plural, &c. Considering well : this is a woman, this is a man, this is a eunuch, this is to be called thus, this is to be called otherwise, speaking with precision, he should employ language in moderation and restraint. (3)
For the avoidance of these occasions to sin, a mendicant should know that there are four kinds of speech: the first is truth; the second is untruth; the third is truth mixed with untruth; what is neither truth, nor untruth, nor truth mixed with untruth, that is the fourth kind of speech: neither truth nor untruth 2. Thus I say.
All past, present, and future Arhats hi ve taught and declared, teach and declare, will teach and declare these four kinds of speech; and they have explained all those things which are devoid of intellect, which possess colour, smell, taste, touch, which are subject to decay and increase, which possess various qualities. (4)
A monk (or a nun should know that) before (the utterance) speech is speech in (antecedent) nonexistences; that while uttered, it is (real) speech;
1 Pakkakkhavayanam, parokkhavayanam.
. The first, second, and third cases refer to assertions, the fourth (asatyamrishâ) to injunctions.
* Literally, non-speech. The commentary has the terms used in the translation, which are taken from the Vaiseshika philosophy. But it is well known that many Gainas have adopted and written on the Vaiseshika philosophy, and that the Gainas themselves maintain
