四分律刪繁補闕行事鈔 2.271

2.271

The sixty-fourth precept: concealing another's grave offense. There are five conditions: first, he is a fully ordained bhikṣu; second, one knows he has committed an offense of the first two classes or above; third, one conceives the mind to conceal it; fourth, one does not expose it; fifth, dawn breaks. The Samantapāsādikā states: "Concealing another's offense: if a hundred thousand people jointly conceal one person, all incur a pāyattika." (A subnote in the Daśādhyāya-vinaya states: "Speaking to one person is sufficient to stop it.") The Mahāsāṃghika-vinaya states: "One should speak to a good bhikṣu; one must not speak rashly. If the offender is violent and evil, and one fears perilous conditions, one should reflect: 'That person's deeds will naturally have their retribution; just as when a fire breaks out, one merely saves oneself—how can one concern oneself with other things?' If at that time it corresponds to guarding one's senses, there is no offense." The Sarvāstivāda-vinaya-vibhāṣā states: "If one is in doubt and has not verified it, one need not speak of another." In the Vinaya: "If one knows another committed a grave offense—knowing it at the morning meal and speaking after the meal, it is a duṣkṛta; knowing it after the meal and speaking at the first watch; knowing it at the first watch and speaking at the middle watch—all are duṣkṛtas. If one knows it at the middle watch, and wishes to speak at the last watch but has not spoken when dawn breaks, it is a pāyattika. Concealing other offenses besides grave ones; concealing one's own offenses; concealing other persons' offenses besides bhikṣuṇīs—all are duṣkṛtas. Cases of non-offense are: one did not know beforehand; one did not consider it a grave offense; if one spoke to someone, or there was no one to speak to; if one resolved to speak but dawn had already broken; or in the case of various perilous difficulties—all are permitted exceptions."