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STAGES OF SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT
197 Different Degrees of the Vow
So the second vow would be something like this : "I shall refrain from telling falsehoods about any person, animal, or thing, knowingly and with the intention of injuring some one"; or, stronger: “I shall not with predetermination tell a falsehod when I am conscious of the injury it will do"; or “I shall not knowingly and intentionally make a false statement that will be injurious to others”, or simply “I shall refrain from telling gross lies."
Further, the vow may be taken in several ways; for instance, “I shall observe this vow only in speech, and not mentally and bodily", or "I shall observe it only bodily”; or it can be taken to avoid only mental falsehoods. Writing lies would be an instance of bodily lies, there is no speech but there is bodily activity. Partial Transgressions
The following are illustrations of the ways of partially transgressing this vow :
1. Sahasābhyākhyāna : It literally means a rash and false accusation. If you rashly call a man a thief, when he is not.
2. Mithyopadeśa : It means giving an improper order that is injurious or harmful to others. Literally it means false instruction. If it is made intentionally then it is breaking the vow; it must be rashly or carelessly made in order to be only an aticāra. If you ask a person to tell a lie, doing so carelessly, then it is a partial transgression.
3. Guhyabhasana : It has two meanings (1) divulging a thing that is secret, (2) backbiting or slandering. And these things must be done unintentionally through carelessness or rashness in order to be only an aticāra. If it is done intentionally, then it is breaking the vow.
4. Kūtalekha : It literally means making a false document, imitation of other people's writing. If the vow is taken as regard the body and not merely “I shall not speak a lie", then making a false document is a breach of the vow, because you have made a false document intentionally and knowingly. If it is done rashly and you do not enquire into the matter, then it is only aticāra.
5. Visvasta-mantra-bheda : It means divulging the secrets of friends, wife, etc. This disclosure leads to the shame, perhaps, of
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