องค์แห่งศีลข้อที่ 4 คือการงดเว้นจากการพูดเท็จ

The Fourth Precept in Buddhist ethics is about

refraining from false speech, meaning the commitment to honesty and avoiding deceitful or misleading statements. This precept consists of four main elements, each representing a stage in the act of lying:

1. Intention to Speak Falsely
   This element refers to having the intention or desire in one’s mind to speak something untrue or to deceive others. It is the deliberate decision to distort or misrepresent the truth. Without this intention, it is not considered a violation of this precept.
2. Making an Effort to Speak Falsely
   This element means actually speaking the falsehood according to the intention. This could involve distorting facts or manipulating words to lead others to believe something untrue. It is not limited to direct lies; it also includes saying things indirectly to mislead others.
3. Someone Hears and Receives the False Speech
   This element is when the statement is received by a listener, meaning that someone hears or understands what was said. If no one hears the false statement, there is no impact on another person’s understanding, and thus, the act of lying is incomplete.
4. The Listener Believes or Understands Incorrectly
   This final element involves the listener actually misunderstanding the truth based on what was said. The listener believes the false statement to be true, which completes the false speech because the intended deception has succeeded. If the listener does not believe or is not deceived, the act does not meet all the conditions to violate this precept fully.

These four elements demonstrate that breaking the Fourth Precept is an intentional act that misleads others, emphasizing the importance of trust and honesty in social relationships.