Xct Mu Bi Pm Ss 2Making a Groundless Accusation Out of Anger
Pāli / Sanskrit:Duṭṭhadosa
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DUṬṬHADOSA SUTTA: GROUNDLESS ACCUSATION FROM AN ANGRY MIND
Background
This discourse belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka, the collection of disciplinary rules of the Theravāda Buddhist Sangha. Duṭṭhadosa (dosa = anger; duṭṭha = bad, corrupt) is a particularly important legal matter in the life of practice of bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs. This discourse records a specific case in which a member of the Sangha was accused without basis, solely because of personal anger.
This historical context reflects real conflicts in the Buddha's early community. Though people studied the Dharma, they were still affected by mental taints (āsava), among which anger (dosa) is one of the most basic. The Vinaya Piṭaka not only identifies violating actions but also classifies motives, and the motive of anger is considered especially dangerous because it causes practitioners to use monastic authority to cause harm.
Main Content
In this discourse, the Buddha establishes a clear rule: if anyone, because of anger, fabricates a story and accuses another person without factual basis, that is a serious offense against the normative integrity of the Sangha.
The act of "groundless accusation out of anger," asserting untrue things with anger as the motive, is classified as a Vinaya violation. It may lead to that person having to acknowledge the fault before the whole Sangha or, in serious cases, being removed from the community.
The Buddha emphasizes that although the Vinaya permits accusations concerning actual violations of the Pātimokkha, the basic monastic code, accusations must be based on facts, not on negative states such as anger, jealousy, or fear. This distinction is very important: it protects the integrity of the disciplinary process, ensuring that the Vinaya is an instrument containing wisdom, not a weapon of harmful mental states.
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