Lzh Mu Bu Pm Pc 12Complaining

Exposition of the Ujjhāpanaka Sutta (The Sutta on Complaining)

Background

Ujjhāpanaka, provisionally translated as “Complaining” or “Slanderous Talk,” is an important part of the Vinaya Piṭaka in the Theravāda Buddhist tradition. This text belongs to the Pātimokkha Saṃvarasikkhāpada, the basic training rules for monks and nuns. It is presented in the context of the Blessed Buddha as the community of renunciant disciples was still forming and needed clear principles to maintain discipline and harmony.

Complaining (ujjhāpana) in the spirit of the Vinaya is not ordinary grumbling, but words of public or private criticism intended to shame or damage the reputation of novices or monks. This is an action harmful to the unity and pure faith of the community.

Main Content

The Ujjhāpanaka Sutta states that monks and nuns should not complain or speak slanderously about teachers, other monastics, or even lay scholars. In particular, public complaining, so that others hear it, is regarded as a more serious disciplinary offense.

Complaining takes many forms: speaking critically about the communal violations of others, saying things that lower reputation, or creating division in the community. Even if the words may be true, the manner, timing, and intention of public complaint make it a violation of the Vinaya.

The text teaches that if someone has genuine concerns about the misconduct of a fellow practitioner, they should speak directly with that person, or, if necessary, report it to the elders for handling through proper procedures. Public complaint, for whatever reason, causes disharmony, dissolves trust, and destroys the focus of the community of practice.

Practical Meaning

The Ujjhāpanaka Sutta teaches a profound lesson on right speech (sammā vācā) and compassion in the community of practice. Restraining complaint is not for concealing faults, but for protecting concentration and mutual trust.