Lzh Mu Bi Vb Pc 53Groundless Accusation

The Discourse on Groundless Accusation (Amūlaka)

Background

The Amūlaka rule is recorded in the Pātimokkha, the fundamental recitation, within the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition of the Buddha-Dharma. These rules arose from specific events in the Sangha of the Buddha, when bhikkhus violated ethical conduct and needed correction through communal legal procedures.

The Vinaya Piṭaka is not merely a set of prohibitions, but an expression of wisdom in maintaining harmony (Saṅgha) and protecting the Teaching. Rules concerning faults, especially faults connected with false judgment, are regarded as very important because they directly affect trust and purity within the religious community.

Main Content

Amūlaka (Pāli: a-mūla-ka, “without root”) is a rule concerning accusing a bhikkhu or bhikkhunī of acts that are untrue, without evidence or reasonable basis. This is a serious ethical violation, belonging to the Pācittiya class, faults requiring repentance and correction.

According to the Vinaya Piṭaka, when a person speaks an accusation against another without real evidence, he is committing false speech and insulting the purity of the accused person. This can cause:

First, disintegration within the community (saṅgha-bhaṇḍana). Groundless accusations create conflict, tension, and destroy the harmony necessary for collective practice.

Second, the weakening of faith among those who practice the Buddha-Dharma. If renunciants accuse one another recklessly, the public will lose faith in the purity of the Saṅgha.

Third, violation of the fourth precept among the basic Five Precepts: the abandonment of false speech. A groundless accusation is one of the most harmful forms of lying, because it is not only untrue but also targets a person’s honor.