Lzh Mu Bi Pm Pc 53Groundless Accusation
Pāli / Sanskrit:Amūlaka
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
Amūlaka Discourse (Groundless Accusation)
Background
The Amūlaka discourse belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically the Pātimokkha Saṃvara, the basic rules of practice for the Buddhist Sangha. This text was compiled to maintain internal discipline and protect the purity of the community gone forth under the Buddha.
The discourse concerns community discipline, especially the accusation of a member of the Sangha (bhikkhu or bhikkhunī) regarding violations of the precepts. In the Theravāda tradition, discipline is not punitive punishment, but a means to help those who have erred recognize their faults and return to the proper path of practice. However, an accusation must be made fairly and on a firm basis.
Main Content
Amūlaka (amūlaka = rootless, without foundation) refers to a situation in which a member of the Sangha is accused of an offense, but the accusation has no evidence, no witnesses, or no foundation at all. This is a serious matter because:
First, a groundless accusation can greatly harm the honor and spirit of the accused. In the Sangha community, reputation is an important factor in maintaining respect and unity.
Second, it violates the principle of fairness and morality. Buddhism emphasizes that a fault can be determined only when there is clear evidence, through three means: direct seeing (diṭṭha), suitable testimony heard (suta), or reasonable inference (paññāya).
Third, the act of making a groundless accusation is itself a violation of discipline by the accuser. The rules in the Vinaya Piṭaka were established to protect the Sangha from disputes, divisions, and harm to harmony (sangha-samvara).
Practical Meaning
The Amūlaka discourse teaches us a profound lesson about the importance of truthfulness, caution, and fairness in judging others.
🌏 The Buddhist canon is vast — some sūtras (such as comparative Vinaya across schools, or untranslated Tibetan-canon texts) have to this day NEVER been translated into Vietnamese or English by anyone, scholars included. Rather than leave it blank, Inti AI offers a FAITHFUL summary grounded in the tradition — from the sūtra's title, origin and essence — so you can still reach this rare part of the treasury. Whenever an original translation exists, the app shows the original first.
Translations belong to the translator/source credited above. The bilingual compilation, presentation, and AI translations compiled by Inti are © Inti Foundation. Please attribute when quoting; do not bulk-copy or use commercially without permission.