Ka Bu Pm Sk 66Finding Fault
Pāli / Sanskrit:Ujjhānasaññī
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The Sutta on Finding Fault (Ujjhānasaññī)
Context
The Ujjhānasaññī Sutta (Finding Fault) appears in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition, as a disciplinary rule concerning the ethics and discipline of the Sangha. It is not a discourse on nirvana or awakening, but a practical guide to conduct within the monastic community. The context for the appearance of this sutta is usually related to matters of criticism and fault-finding within the Sangha, a problem that always arises when human beings live together.
The terms "Ujjhāna" (finding fault, criticism) and "Saññī" (one who has the perception) indicate that this is a rule concerning the attitude of admonition: attending to one’s own faults and those of others, but for the purpose of awakening, not in order to cause harm. This sutta reflects the Buddha’s wisdom in guiding the Sangha, where diligence in practice cannot be separated from care in action and speech.
Main Content
The Vinaya Piṭaka records that this sutta concerns some monastics who had the habit of searching for and criticizing the faults of others without seeing themselves clearly. Or in other cases, they "found fault" with the intention of satisfying greed, hatred, and delusion, or of raising their own reputation. The Buddha taught that this approach is mistaken.
The sutta teaches a fundamental principle: the practitioner must cultivate right mindfulness (sammāsati) in order to recognize faults, but first of all one’s own faults. When we quietly look into the shortcomings in our actions, speech, and thoughts, only then does the work of practice have a firm foundation. Criticizing others should only be done with a heart of compassion, the aim being to help them improve, not to diminish them or elevate oneself.
The sutta emphasizes the difference between recognizing faults, which is necessary, and the habit of finding fault with others while forgetting oneself (ujjhānasaññī = one with the habit of criticizing).
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