Lzh Mu Bi Vb Sk 70Finding Fault
Pāli / Sanskrit:Ujjhānasaññī
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The Ujjhānasaññī Sutra: On the Mind That Seeks Faults
Background
The Ujjhānasaññī Sutra (the mind intent on finding faults) is found in the Vinaya Piṭaka, the collection of scriptures regulating the renunciant life of monks and nuns. In the Theravāda tradition, the Vinaya Piṭaka is not only a collection of prohibitions and mechanical rules, but also deep lessons on the mind and on ethical cultivation directed toward nirvana. This sutra appears in the context of Śākyamuni Buddha and his disciples resolving issues that arose in the communal life of the Sangha.
During the Buddha's active life, monks and nuns often lived around him or in monasteries. In the course of communal life, disputes about the faults and offenses of individual members could not be avoided. The question arises: what is the proper way to perceive another person's fault? How can one avoid falling into the state of "fault-finding" (ujjhānasaññī), that is, the habit of seizing on external appearances to criticize or disparage shortcomings while forgetting the spirit of compassion and the aim of liberation?
Main Content
This sutra teaches that the mind that "seeks faults" is an impure mental state, reflecting a lack of wisdom and ignorance. When another person commits a fault, circling around those wrongs or criticizing heavily is a way for our mind to bind itself to unwholesome phenomena. Ujjhāna in Pāli means "criticism" or "disparagement," while saññī means "perception" or "cognitive capacity."
The Buddha taught that when we cannot avoid knowing another person's fault, a true monastic must cultivate three aspects:
First, developing loving-kindness (mettā), with no intention to slander or cause harm. When witnessing a fault, we should recognize that a fellow practitioner is also a person with shortcomings and is on the path of liberation.
Second, cultivating a balanced mind (upekkha). This is the state of mind not driven by hatred or attachment, not allowing body and mind to fall into agitation over the affairs of others.
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