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516
The Unknown Pilgrims
serious faults which call for the expulsion of the offender, the ācārya can temper the harshness of the prāyaścittas.
i) The prayaścittas, as properly defined, are always preceded by alocană and pratikramaņa
1. The act of alocană is distasteful and difficult to perform. It demands faith in the dharma, sincerity towards oneself and others, courage to confess one's fault and accept the penance given.157 Great importance is very properly attached to the qualities which the one who has the authority to hear confessions must possess. Not only must this person be capable of helping the disciples and of assigning the prāyaścittas wisely, but she must also be discreet and not gossip. 158
As an aid towards sincere and straightforward confession and to avoid slipping, even unconsciously, into subtle tendencies that camouflage the truth, one is cautioned against affectation and a whole range of deceitful arts, the principal ones being:
· exciting the compassion of the one hearing the confession or to select a less severe person from among the ascetics who are entitled to hear confessions;
- confessing only those faults which have been noticed by the ācārya or guruņi;
- confessing only one's more serious faults or, on the other hand, one's less serious;
- whispering one's faults in such a way that they are unintelligible to the person listening;
- or uttering them in a very loud voice; .
- confessing the same fault on successive occasions to several åcåryas or other munis appointed for the task;
157 Cf. SthS 604b where the necessary conditions for a truly sincere confession are indicated.
158 Ibid., 604a.
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