Bu Pc 7676. Making a groundless accusation
Pāli / Sanskrit:Amūlaka
A monk who falsely accuses another monk of an offense entailing suspension must confess the offense.
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Theravāda Collection on Monastic Law The Great Analysis
The chapter on offenses entailing confession The subchapter on legitimate correction 76. Making a groundless accusation
Origin story
At one time when the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery, the monks from the group of six groundlessly charged a monk with an offense entailing suspension.
The monks of few desires complained and criticized them, “How could the monks from the group of six do this?” … “Is it true, monks, that you did this?”
“It’s true, sir.”
The Buddha rebuked them … “Foolish men, how could you do this? This will affect people’s confidence …” … “And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:
Final ruling
‘If a monk groundlessly charges a monk with an offense entailing suspension, he commits an offense entailing confession.’”
Definitions
A: whoever … Monk: … The monk who has been given the full ordination by a unanimous Sangha through a legal procedure consisting of one motion and three announcements that is irreversible and fit to stand—this sort of monk is meant in this case. A monk: another monk. Groundless: not seen, not heard, not suspected. An offense entailing suspension: one of the thirteen. Charges: if he accuses him or has him accused, he commits an offense entailing confession.
Permutations
If it is one who is fully ordained, and he perceives him as such, and he groundlessly charges him with an offense entailing suspension, he commits an offense entailing confession. If it is one who is fully ordained, but he is unsure of it, and he groundlessly charges him with an offense entailing suspension, he commits an offense entailing confession. If it is one who is fully ordained, but he does not perceive him as such, and he groundlessly charges him with an offense entailing suspension, he commits an offense entailing confession.
If he charges someone with failure in conduct or failure in view, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If he charges one who is not fully ordained, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.
If it is one who is not fully ordained, but he perceives them as such, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If it is one who is not fully ordained, but he is unsure of it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If it is one who is not fully ordained, and he does not perceive them as such, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.
Non-offenses
There is no offense: if he accuses someone, or has someone accused, according to what he has perceived; if he is insane; if he is the first offender.
The training rule on making a groundless accusation, the sixth, is finished.
The “…” is an abbreviation carried over from the Pāli original itself, called peyyāla. The early canon was memorized and recited, so passages repeated verbatim from a preceding discourse were commonly contracted to an elision mark rather than written out in full. Venerable Thích Minh Châu's translation preserves this convention. Some texts therefore look short — but that is the canonical form, not missing content or a truncated translation. The elided passages can be read in full in the preceding discourses of the same chapter.
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