Lzh Mu Bu Vb Pc 69Groundless Accusation
Pāli / Sanskrit:Amūlaka
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
SUTTA ON GROUNDLESS ACCUSATION (AMŪLAKA)
Background
The Amūlaka Sutta is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the Pātimokkha Saṁvara section of the Bhikkhu Vibhaṅga (Analysis of the Bhikkhu Rules). In the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, the Vinaya Piṭaka is not only a set of penal regulations but also contains profound lessons on ethics, attentiveness, and right action.
This sutta was taught by Gotama Buddha after an incident in which a bhikkhu was unjustly accused. At that time, bhikkhus in the Sangha might use accusation as a means of personal revenge or to harm another person. This weakened discipline and trust within the monastic community.
What is distinctive is that the sutta not only forbids reckless accusation but also clearly determines the conditions under which an accusation is legitimate, that is, grounded rather than amūlaka. This is one of the most subtle regulations of the Vinaya Piṭaka, expressing equality and justice within the Sangha.
Main Content
The Amūlaka Sutta prescribes that a bhikkhu must not accuse any other bhikkhu on “groundless” (amūlaka) grounds. The word amūlaka means without root, without foundation, without reliable evidence.
According to the Vinaya Piṭaka, when a dispute or suspicion arises concerning a bhikkhu’s violation of the precepts, a careful investigation must be conducted. An accusation must be based on one of three official kinds of evidence: direct seeing (āsanna), testimony from another (parato), or personal confession (anuggaha). If one of these bases is lacking, the accusation is considered groundless, an improper act that may lead to penalties or shame within the Sangha.
The sutta also emphasizes that reckless accusation is not only wrong but also a form of false speech and harm. It reflects an impure mental force, whether arising from resentment, jealousy, or the wish to injure.
🌏 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.