Whosoever have incurred a fault, let him declare it! If no fault have been incurred it is meet to keep silence!
Now, venerable Sirs, it is by your silence, that I shall know whether you are pure. As to each one question put there must be an answer, so, in such a meeting as this, each question is put[1] as many as three times. Then if any Bhikkhu, when it has been three times put, knowingly omit to declare a fault incurred, he is guilty of uttering a conscious lie. Venerable Sirs, the uttering of a deliberate lie has been declared by the Blessed One to be a condition hurtful (to spiritual progress)[2]. Therefore a fault, if there be one, should be declared by that Bhikkhu who remembers it, and desires to be cleansed therefrom. For a fault, when declared, shall be light to him.
Venerable Sirs, the Introduction is now recited. Thus do I question you, venerable Sirs, 'Are you pure in this matter?'
A second time do I question you, 'Are you pure in this matter?'
A third time do I question you, 'Are you pure in this matter?'
The venerable ones are pure herein. Therefore do they keep silence. Thus I understand.
Here endeth the recitation of the Introduction.
- ↑ The spelling of the Pâli word in the text should be anussâvitam, and so below, anussâviyamâne. By 'the text' we refer throughout to Mr. Dickson's very careful edition, all the necessary corrections in which—they are mostly only misprints—will be noticed in the following notes.
- ↑ See Mahâvagga II, 3, 7.
