Mpt Ss 8Making a Groundless Accusation Out of Anger
Pāli / Sanskrit:Duṭṭhadosa
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The Duṭṭhadosa Sutta: A Groundless Accusation Arising from Anger
Background
The Duṭṭhadosa Sutta is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the Mahāvagga (Mpt Ss 8). This is a collection of legal teachings and instructive stories in the life of monastics in the organization of the Sangha. This sutta focuses especially on the issue of intoxicating drink, a prohibited matter, but more deeply it examines the problem of anger (dosa) that distorts a person to the point of making groundless verbal accusations.
The context here is not a public Dharma sermon, but an incident in the monastic community: someone, in a fit of anger, casually or deliberately accused a fellow monastic. The sutta records this event as a typical case of wrongdoing arising from an upset mind, from uncontrolled frustration or jealousy.
Main Content
Duṭṭhadosa literally means “wicked anger” or “poisonous hatred.” This sutta records the story of a monk who, for some reason related to alcohol or another action, was falsely accused by someone else. The accuser had no real evidence; their anger had covered the mind, causing them to speak untrue words.
The important point emphasized by the Vinaya Pitaka is the nature of this act. It is not merely a small fault; it is a fundamental violation within the Sangha, because it destroys harmony, trust, and the spirit of the Sangha. When someone makes a groundless accusation, they are performing an action with a destructive effect: destroying honor, destroying trust, and destroying their own mind.
The Blessed One and the elders examined the incident and made a decision: the act of making a groundless accusation, especially when rooted in anger (dosa), is an offense to be dealt with in the legal system of the Sangha. Depending on the degree, the offender may have to acknowledge the past fault, confess publicly, or undergo other disciplinary measures.
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