Lzh Mg Bu Vb Pc 90Groundless Accusation

– MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA RULES

– EXPLAINING THE TENTH SECTION OF THE 92 SINGLE EXPIATION RULES.

90. RULE: GROUNDLESS ACCUSATION OF ANOTHER.

When the Buddha was dwelling in the city of Sāvatthī, as described in full above. At that time the Venerable Dabba Mallaputta had been appointed by the Saṅgha to manage nine duties as previously described, including that Dabba Mallaputta had a small finger on his right hand that emitted light, and by this light he assigned rooms according to each person's character: forest dwellers together with forest dwellers, almsfood gatherers together with almsfood gatherers, those wearing rag-robes together with those wearing rag-robes, one-meal-a-day practitioners together with one-meal-a-day practitioners, constant sitters together with constant sitters, those who sit in open spaces together with those who sit in open spaces, those who use grass mats together with those who use grass mats,

those who recite scriptures together with those who recite scriptures, Dhamma teachers together with Dhamma teachers, those who study the Vinaya together with those who study the Vinaya, arhats together with arhats, those with the Three Knowledges together with those with the Three Knowledges, those with the Six Superknowledges together with those with the Six Superknowledges, and those without proper deportment together with those without proper deportment.

At that time, the group of six monks spoke to Dabba:

—Elder! Please assign the six of us to stay together in one place.

—Wait until the most junior among your group comes to his turn to receive a room, and then you may all stay together as you wish.

When their most junior companion came to his turn, the room he received was poor, with worn and inferior sleeping and sitting beds, pillows, and cushions, and the dining quarters too were crude and shabby. They then said among themselves:

—The Elder Dabba is like an age-old enemy of ours, assigning us a poor room and inferior food. If this elder continues to live long in the holy life, we will suffer endlessly. But the Blessed One has laid down a rule against making a groundless accusation of a Pārājika offense against someone; let us instead accuse him of a Saṅghādisesa offense.

Then they went to where Dabba was and said:

—Elder, you have committed a Saṅghādisesa offense.

—I have not committed that offense.

—Has any thief ever called himself a thief! Yet you have committed a Saṅghādisesa offense.

Then they went to secluded places, to crowded places, and to the midst of the Saṅgha, accusing the monk Dabba of committing a Saṅghādisesa offense. At that time, the monk Dabba went and reported this matter to the Blessed One. The Buddha then asked:

—Did you do this?

—No, Blessed One.

—You have not committed this offense; the Blessed One knows you are pure.

—Blessed One, although the Blessed One knows that I am innocent, I beg the Blessed One to cause those others to believe likewise, so that they will not continue to make false accusations and thereby lose their own benefit.

—Then have the group of six monks summoned here.

When they had come, the Buddha asked again about the matter as described:

—Did you truly do this?

—We did, Blessed One.

—This is an evil deed. Have you never heard me teach that you should cultivate a heart of respect, and show compassion through body, speech, and mind toward your fellow practitioners of the holy life? Why then have you groundlessly accused another of a Saṅghādisesa offense? This is contrary to the Dhamma, contrary to the Vinaya, contrary to my teaching, and cannot be used to nourish wholesome qualities.

Then the Buddha commanded the monks dwelling in the city of Sāvatthī to assemble together, and for the sake of ten benefits he laid down this rule for the monks; even those who have already heard it must hear it again:

—If a monk, out of anger and displeasure, groundlessly accuses another monk of a Saṅghādisesa offense, he commits a Pācittiya offense.

EXPLANATION:

Anger: This comprises nine things that are disturbing and groundless anger. The tenth, which is resentment, is still present in ordinary persons and those still in training. But the mind-state of displeasure is still present even in an arhat.

Groundlessly: The matter did not in fact exist; it was not seen, not heard, and not suspected.

Saṅghādisesa: If one falsely accuses someone of any one of these thirteen offenses, one commits a Pācittiya offense.

Pācittiya: As explained above.

When there is mutual anger between a pure monk and an impure monk, and the pure monk asks the other:

—Which of the thirteen offenses did you see me commit? The first or the second?

The other, without having seen, heard, suspected, or been certain of anything, speaks in a secluded place, in a crowded place, or in the midst of the Saṅgha as follows:

—I saw you commit a Saṅghādisesa offense; I heard you committed a Saṅghādisesa offense; I suspect you of committing a Saṅghādisesa offense.

But what was heard does not accord with the truth and is not based on proper grounds; what was suspected does not accord with the truth and is not based on proper grounds; what was seen, heard, and suspected is all false; having not truly seen, heard, or suspected such things, yet face to face, eye to eye, speaking slanderous words—this constitutes a Pācittiya offense.

If the other person is pure but one imagines them to be impure, then accuses them of a Sthūlātyaya offense intending to drive them away, one commits a Pācittiya offense.

If the other person is impure but one imagines them to be pure, then accuses them of a Vinaya transgression intending to drive them away, one commits a Sthūlātyaya offense.

If the other person is pure and one imagines them to be pure, then accuses them of a Sthūlātyaya offense intending to drive them away, one commits a Pācittiya offense.

If the other person is impure and one imagines them to be impure, then slanders them, one commits a Pācittiya offense.

If one falsely accuses a monk, one commits a Pācittiya offense; if one falsely accuses a nun, one commits a Sthūlātyaya offense; if one falsely accuses a probationer, a novice monk, or a novice nun, one commits a Vinaya transgression; if one falsely accuses a lay person, one commits a Vinaya transgression to be confessed by mental reflection. Therefore it is said (as above).

Vietnamese translation: Thích Phước Sơn. MAHĀSĀṂGHIKA VINAYA

Chinese translation: THE TRIPIṬAKA MASTER BUDDHABHADRA OF INDIA

TOGETHER WITH THE ŚRAMAṆA FAXIAN, TRANSLATED DURING THE EASTERN JIN DYNASTY

CERTIFICATION OF MEANING: THÍCH ĐỖNG MINH