Lzh Mu Bu Vb Pc 12Complaining
Pāli / Sanskrit:Ujjhāpanaka
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SUTTA UJJHĀPANAKA - COMPLAINING
Background
The Ujjhāpanaka Sutta belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition, specifically within the Pātimokkha — the fundamental rules of discipline for the Saṅgha. This is the portion of the Vinaya pertaining to offenses of a lighter nature compared to the more serious precepts, yet ones that still require confession and the cultivation of a reformed mind.
The word Ujjhāpanaka means "complaining" or "seeking pretexts for criticism." In the context of the Vinaya Piṭaka, this does not refer merely to ordinary complaints, but to the act of a monk or nun finding fault, disparaging, or grumbling about requisites, food, or the rules of practice within the monastic community. It reflects a mental attitude of dissatisfaction, displeasure, and a lack of adaptability in the life of contemplative practice.
The appearance of this rule reveals that the earliest brothers and sisters of Buddhism were not faultless saints. They too had to struggle with mental tendencies such as greed, aversion, and delusion — among which was the tendency to complain and to seek false gratification.
Main Content
The Ujjhāpanaka rule prohibits a monk or nun from complaining or seeking pretexts to mock the basic necessities of the monastic life. These may include: food (cooked rice, porridge), robes, lodging, or the instructions and regulations of the Saṅgha.
Such complaining behavior, as defined in the Vinaya, does not refer to the genuine raising of difficulties in order to seek assistance or change, but rather to grumbling, negative, or mocking speech intended to express discontent and to undermine the spirit of the community. When such conduct occurs, the monastic is required to make confession (sampadeti) — that is, to publicly acknowledge the fault before the monastic community — and thereafter to receive guidance for reformation.
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