San Sarv Bi Pm Tf 44 Ss 2Making a Groundless Accusation Out of Anger

THE DISCOURSE ON UNJUST ACCUSATIONS MADE OUT OF ANGER

Duṭṭhadosa — Pācittiya 44.2

Background

This discourse appears in the Pācittiya section, offenses requiring confession, part of the Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅga, the Vinaya for nuns, in the Pāli Canon. The title "Duṭṭhadosa" carries deep meaning: duṭṭha, unwholesome, angry, of bad mind, and dosa, hatred, aversion, anger, indicating actions arising from a fierce mind of anger.

According to the early Theravāda tradition, the Vinaya Piṭaka was composed to protect the community of monks and nuns and maintain discipline in practice. Each paccaya, or case of fault, in the Pācittiya arose from a specific event, often a certain bhikkhunī committing an offense, after which the Buddha established a rule to prevent it in the future. This discourse reflects the concern of the Buddhadharma for wrong speech, especially when it arises from anger.

Main Content

The Duṭṭhadosa discourse deals with the situation in which a bhikkhunī, angry because of personal conflict, perceived injustice, or internal dispute, accuses another person without basis. Specifically, she publicly utters an accusation (anuggahāveyyakaraṇa) that is not supported by testimony or reliable evidence, but only by anger.

This offense violates a fundamental principle of Vinaya: sayam samakammam karoti, action must be undertaken with self-aware reflection, not arising from the four unwholesome roots, greed, hatred, delusion, and envy. When speech is born from hatred (dosa), it becomes a means of harming others, destroying harmony in the Sangha, and injuring the mind of the speaker herself.

The Vinaya stipulates that this action is Pācittiya, a fault requiring public confession (paccattānulomā) before the Sangha. This shows that the Buddhadharma does not deny the possibility of amendment, but emphasizes that wrong speech arising from anger must be acknowledged and healed clearly, and cannot be concealed.