梵網經菩薩戒本疏 3.16

3.16

First, regarding the intention behind the prohibition, it also has ten meanings as before: 1. Because the karmic path is grave: that is, it is among the ten unwholesome karmas, the cause and effect of the evil destinies; burdened with this heavy karma, how could one be fit to enter the Path? 2. Because it is inappropriate: that is, deceiving and misleading others is not even what good people in the world do, how much less so for a person who enters the Path, for whom honesty and truthfulness are supreme. 3. Because it closes the path of goodness: the Dazhidulun, fascicle fifteen, states: "A person of false speech first deceives his own body, and then deceives others. Taking the real as false and the false as real, with truth and falsehood inverted, he cannot receive wholesome dharmas, just like an inverted vase into which water cannot enter. A person of false speech has neither shame nor conscience in his mind, and blocks the gates to the heavenly paths and nirvāṇa. Observing and knowing this sin, one therefore does not commit it." 4. Because of the benefit of truthful speech: that treatise states: "Furthermore, observing and knowing truthful speech, its benefit is extremely vast; the benefit of truthful speech comes from oneself and is very easy to obtain, being the strength of all renunciants. Such merit is shared by householders and renunciants alike, being the mark of a good person." 5. Because it is easy to attain liberation: that treatise states: "Furthermore, a person of truthful speech has an upright mind and easily escapes suffering, just as dragging timber through a dense forest: that which is straight easily comes out." 6. Because the Dharma does not enter the mind: that treatise states: "Furthermore, the Buddha's son Rāhula, when young in years, did not yet know how to guard his speech. When people came and asked him, 'Is the World-Honoured One present?' he deceitfully said, 'He is not present.' When [the Buddha] was not present and people asked Rāhula, 'Is the World-Honoured One present?' he deceitfully said, 'The Buddha is present.' Someone reported this to the Buddha. The Buddha said to Rāhula, 'Take water in the basin and wash my feet.' Having washed his feet, he said to Rāhula, 'Invert this basin.' As instructed, he inverted it. The Buddha said, 'Pour water on it.' After pouring, the water ran off. [The Buddha] asked, 'Does the water enter inside?' He answered, 'It does not enter.' The Buddha told Rāhula, 'A person without shame or conscience has his mind covered by false speech. The Dharma of the Path does not enter, just like this.'" 7. Because it ruins the practice of the Dharma: that treatise states that the monk Hada, although practicing the gift of the Dharma, fell into hell upon death on account of false speech. 8. Because one is abandoned by spirits: the sūtra says that regarding a person of false speech, the devas, ghosts, and spirits all see him and abandon him without offering protection. 9. Because it opens the gate of faults: that is, faults such as killing and stealing are all assisted and accomplished by false speech. 10. Because it possesses both proscriptive and inherent nature: therefore, one would rather abandon bodily life than ever give rise to a transgression. As a verse in the Bodhisambhāra treatise states: "Though on account of truthful speech one dies / or forfeits [being a] cakravartin / or [a lord of] all the gods, / one should only speak truthful words." Explanation: because its nature is grave, whether for one's own harm or benefit, it is not permitted even at the cost of life.