法苑珠林 88.43

88.43

Fourth, concerning the precept against false speech: The Buddha told the monks: I have in various ways rebuked false speech and praised those who do not speak falsely. One should not speak falsely even in jest, how much less intentionally! What constitutes an offense herein: if an upāsaka, neither knowing nor seeing, claims to possess superhuman noble dharmas, saying of himself: 'I am an arhat, a person of the four fruits,' or even 'I have attained the four dhyānas, loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, equanimity, the four formless attainments, the meditation on impurity, or ānāpānasmṛti; devas and nāgas have come to my place to make offerings to me; they asked me the meaning and I answered their questions'—all these commit an unpardonable offense. If having actually seen he says he did not see, having actually heard says he did not hear, having actual doubt says he has no doubt, says what exists does not exist, or says what does not exist exists—such minor false speech commits a pardonable offense. If he gives rise to the thought to speak falsely but before uttering the words, he commits a minor, pardonable offense. If he speaks without expressing the full thought, he commits a medium, pardonable offense. If he claims of himself to have attained the noble path, he immediately commits an unpardonable offense. If through madness, a confused mind, or speaking unconsciously, it is not an offense.