Bi Ss 88. Making a groundless accusation out of anger
Pāli / Sanskrit:Duṭṭhadosa
A nun who in anger falsely accuses another nun of an offense entailing expulsion is to be suspended.
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Duṭṭhadosa: Making a Groundless Accusation out of Anger
Background
This rule is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the section on Bhikkhuṇī Saṃvara (the rules of discipline for nuns), which is the collection of regulations for monastics in Theravāda Buddhism. The Vinaya Piṭaka is not merely a rigid code of prohibitions; it is an expression of the Buddha's wisdom, intended to protect the practicing community and to cultivate the moral qualities necessary for liberation.
The Duṭṭhadosa sutta (Duṭṭha = corrupt mind, dosa = anger) arose from actual events in the early community of nuns. When conflict arose among the nuns, anger could lead to false accusations—particularly accusations concerning the gravest offenses (pārājika), which would result in the expulsion of the accused from the Sangha. Such actions not only cause harm to the individual accused, but also undermine the trust and harmony of the community.
Main Content
The rule states clearly: a nun who, under the influence of anger (dosa), accuses another nun of an offense entailing pārājika—that is, permanent expulsion from the Sangha—when that accusation is entirely groundless, is herself subject to the penalty of saṅghādisesa, which is one of the other major penalties within the disciplinary system.
Specifically, one who commits this offense must undergo a period of "suspension" (parivāsa)—a provisional state in which the nun is excluded from important Sangha assemblies, may not participate in communal decisions, and must observe certain restrictions until the Sangha reviews the matter and approves her restoration to full standing.
The reason this penalty is applied is not for outward punishment, but for the purpose of instruction.
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