San Lo Bi Vb Ss 2Making a Groundless Accusation Out of Anger
Pāli / Sanskrit:Duṭṭhadosa
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The Duṭṭhadosa Sutta: Groundless Accusation from an Angry Mind
Background
The Duṭṭhadosa Sutta, from the Vinaya Piṭaka and belonging to the Sutta Vibhaṅga, records an important event in the history of practice within the community of monks and nuns. The historical background of this sutta begins in the time when the Buddha Gotama was still alive, when disciples studied and practiced together in a disciplined community where differences of view and internal conflicts were not uncommon.
The title “Duṭṭhadosa,” an unwholesome mind of anger, points to a serious situation: when a monk or nun, governed by anger (dosa), that is, deep hatred or wrath, seeks to accuse another with charges that have no basis in fact. This is a serious ethical offense because it combines two unwholesome roots: anger (dosa) and false speech (musāvāda), cracking the integrity and trust within the community of practice.
Main Content
According to the regulations of the Vinaya Piṭaka, an accusation against a monk or nun must be based on clear truth. The accuser must have sufficient evidence and a proper motive, namely the welfare of the community and the purity of the Dharma, not personal anger or a purpose of causing harm.
In the case described by this sutta, a monk or nun, controlled by anger, brings a groundless accusation (anicchadana or musāvāda) against another. This conduct is regarded as a violation of “Duṭṭhadosa Sañcetaniya,” that is, a fault caused by anger and wrongful intention. The Vinaya Piṭaka requires that a monk or nun who commits this fault must publicly apologize and correct it before the community, though the specific nature of the offense may vary according to its seriousness and circumstances.
The emphasis of the sutta is the distinction between legitimate accusations, which are well-founded and not arbitrary, and accusations governed by greed, hatred, and delusion.
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