Lzh Mg Bu Pm Ss 8Making a Groundless Accusation Out of Anger
Pāli / Sanskrit:Duṭṭhadosa
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Sutta Duṭṭhadosa: Making a Groundless Accusation Out of Hatred
Background
This sutta is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the section dealing with offenses of the fourfold Sangha. The Duṭṭhadosa Sutta presents a situation involving the act of accusing a monastics without genuine grounds, motivated solely by anger and hatred (dosa). This is a grave matter of communal ethics in the practice community, as it undermines the trust and harmony within the Sangha.
Within the context of the Early Dharma, the Vinaya Piṭaka is not merely a set of mechanical rules, but a body of standards for protecting the spirit of practice. When a monastic is subjected to a groundless accusation, this constitutes what is called "abbhācanā-kamma" (unjust censure), one of the most powerful kamma-producing actions within the Sangha. This sutta teaches us that the psychological motivation (cetanā) behind one's words is of great importance.
Main Content
The sutta sets forth the act of accusing a monastic of something that person has not actually done. Rather than relying on clear evidence (pañcaṅga-vidha-sakkhi), the accuser acts solely on personal anger and the desire to cause harm. This constitutes a violation of the Pāṭimokkha — the foundational code of discipline — because it transgresses both truthfulness and justice.
According to the Early Vinaya, for an accusation to be lawful, five conditions must be met: the accuser must possess clear comprehension (sampajaññā), must not be under the sway of hatred, must have transparent evidence, must know the accused person clearly, and must have a legitimate purpose of protecting the Sangha. Should any of these conditions be lacking — especially when one is governed by hatred (dosa) — the act of accusation becomes unlawful and generates unwholesome karma.
The sutta warns that one who makes a groundless accusation will bear the fruits of their own actions. Such a person not only creates division within the practice community but also destroys patience (khanti) and loving-kindness (mettā), two virtues essential to the Buddha's Dharma.
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