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Kalama Sutta: The
Buddha's Charter of Free Inquiry
Translated from the Pali by Ven. Soma Thera
The
Instruction to the Kalamas
The Kalamas of Kesaputta go to see the Buddha
1. I heard thus. Once the Blessed One, while wandering in the
Kosala country with a large community of bhikkhus, entered a town
of the Kalama people called Kesaputta. The Kalamas who were inhabitants
of Kesaputta: "Reverend Gotama, the monk, the son of the
Sakiyans, has, while wandering in the Kosala country, entered
Kesaputta. The good repute of the Reverend Gotama has been spread
in this way: Indeed, the Blessed One is thus consummate, fully
enlightened, endowed with knowledge and practice, sublime, knower
of the worlds, peerless, guide of tamable men, teacher of divine
and human beings, which he by himself has through direct knowledge
understood clearly. He set forth the Dhamma, good in the beginning,
good in the middle, good in the end, possessed of meaning and
the letter, and complete in everything; and he proclaims the holy
life that is perfectly pure. Seeing such consummate ones is good
indeed."
2. Then the Kalamas who were inhabitants of Kesaputta went to
where the Blessed One was. On arriving there some paid homage
to him and sat down on one side; some exchanged greetings with
him and after the ending of cordial memorable talk, sat down on
one side; some saluted him raising their joined palms and sat
down on one side; some announced their name and family and sat
down on one side; some without speaking, sat down on one side.
The Kalamas of Kesaputta ask for guidance from the Buddha
3. The Kalamas who were inhabitants of Kesaputta sitting on one
side said to the Blessed One: "There are some monks and brahmins,
venerable sir, who visit Kesaputta. They expound and explain only
their own doctrines; the doctrines of others they despise, revile,
and pull to pieces. Some other monks and brahmins too, venerable
sir, come to Kesaputta. They also expound and explain only their
own doctrines; the doctrines of others they despise, revile, and
pull to pieces. Venerable sir, there is doubt, there is uncertainty
in us concerning them. Which of these reverend monks and brahmins
spoke the truth and which falsehood?"
The criterion for rejection
4. "It is proper for you, Kalamas, to doubt, to be uncertain;uncertainty
has arisen in you about what is doubtful. Come, Kalamas. Do not
go upon what has been acquired by repeated hearing; nor upon tradition;
nor upon rumor; nor upon what is in a scripture; nor upon surmise;
nor upon an axiom; nor upon specious reasoning; nor upon a bias
towards a notion that has been pondered over; nor upon another's
seeming ability; nor upon the consideration, 'The monk is our
teacher.' Kalamas, when you yourselves know: 'These things are
bad; these things are blamable; these things are censured by the
wise; undertaken and observed, these things lead to harm and ill,'
abandon them.
Greed, hate, and delusion
5. "What do you think, Kalamas? Does greed appear in a man
for his benefit or harm?" - "For his harm, venerable
sir." - "Kalamas, being given to greed, and being overwhelmed
and vanquished mentally by greed, this man takes life, steals,
commits adultery, and tells lies; he prompts another too, to do
likewise. Will that be long for his harm and ill?" - "Yes,
venerable sir."
6. "What do you think, Kalamas? Does hate appear in a man
for his benefit or harm?" - "For his harm, venerable
sir." - "Kalamas, being given to hate, and being overwhelmed
and vanquished mentally by hate, this man takes life, steals,
commits adultery, and tells lies; he prompts another too, to do
likewise. Will that be long for his harm and ill?" - "Yes,
venerable sir."
7. "What do you think, Kalamas? Does delusion appear in a
man for his benefit or harm?" - "For his harm, venerable
sir." - "Kalamas, being given to delusion, and being
overwhelmed and vanquished mentally by delusion, this man takes
life, steals, commits adultery, and tells lies; he prompts another
too, to do likewise. Will that be long for his harm and ill?"
- "Yes, venerable sir."
8. "What do you think, Kalamas? Are these things good or
bad?" - "Bad, venerable sir" - "Blamable or
not blamable?" - "Blamable, venerable sir." - "Censured
or praised by the wise?" - "Censured, venerable sir."
- "Undertaken and observed, do these things lead to harm
and ill, or not? Or how does it strike you?" - "Undertaken
and observed, these things lead to harm and ill. Thus it strikes
us here."
9. "Therefore, did we say, Kalamas, what was said thus, 'Come
Kalamas. Do not go upon what has been acquired by repeated hearing;
nor upon tradition; nor upon rumor; nor upon what is in a scripture;
nor upon surmise; nor upon an axiom; nor upon specious reasoning;
nor upon a bias towards a notion that has been pondered over;
nor upon another's seeming ability; nor upon the consideration,
"The monk is our teacher." Kalamas, when you yourselves
know: "These things are bad; these things are blamable; these
things are censured by the wise; undertaken and observed, these
things lead to harm and ill," abandon them.'
The
criterion for acceptance
10. "Come, Kalamas. Do not go upon what has been acquired
by repeated hearing; nor upon tradition; nor upon rumor; nor upon
what is in a scripture; nor upon surmise; nor upon an axiom; nor
upon specious reasoning; nor upon a bias towards a notion that
has been pondered over; nor upon another's seeming ability; nor
upon the consideration, 'The monk is our teacher.' Kalamas, when
you yourselves know: 'These things are good; these things are
not blamable; these things are praised by the wise; undertaken
and observed, these things lead to benefit and happiness,' enter
on and abide in them.
Absence of greed, hate, and delusion
11, "What do you think, Kalamas? Does absence of greed appear
in a man for his benefit or harm?" - "For his benefit,
venerable sir." - "Kalamas, being not given to greed,
and being not overwhelmed and not vanquished mentally by greed,
this man does not take life, does not steal, does not commitadultery,
and does not tell lies; he prompts another too, to do likewise.
Will that be long for his benefit and happiness?" - "Yes,
venerable sir."
12. "What do you think, Kalamas? Does absence of hate appear
in a man for his benefit or harm?" - "For his benefit,
venerable sir." - "Kalamas, being not given to hate,
and being not overwhelmed and not vanquished mentally by hate,
this man does not take life, does not steal, does not commit adultery,
and does not tell lies; he prompts another too, to do likewise.
Will that be long for his benefit and happiness?" - "Yes,
venerable sir."
13. "What do you think, Kalamas? Does absence of delusion
appear in a man for his benefit or harm?" - "For his
benefit, venerable sir." - "Kalamas, being not given
to delusion, and being not overwhelmed and not vanquished mentally
by delusion, this man does not take life, does not steal, does
not commit adultery, and does not tell lies; he prompts another
too, to do likewise. Will that be long for his benefit and happiness?"
- "Yes, venerable sir."
14. "What do you think, Kalamas? Are these things good or
bad?" - "Good, venerable sir." - "Blamable
or not blamable?" - "Not blamable, venerable sir."
- "Censured or praised by the wise?" - "Praised,
venerable sir." - "Undertaken and observed, do these
things lead to benefit and happiness, or not? Or how does it strike
you?" - "Undertaken and observed, these things lead
to benefit and happiness. Thus it strikes us here."
15. "Therefore, did we say, Kalamas, what was said thus,
'Come Kalamas. Do not go upon what has been acquired by repeated
hearing; nor upon tradition; nor upon rumor; nor upon what is
in a scripture; nor upon surmise; nor upon an axiom; nor upon
specious reasoning; nor upon a bias towards a notion that has
been pondered over; nor upon another's seeming ability; nor upon
the consideration, "The monk is our teacher." Kalamas,
when you yourselves know: "These things are bad; these things
are blamable; these things are censured by the wise; undertaken
and observed, these things lead to harm and ill," abandon
them.'
The Four Exalted Dwellings
16. "The disciple of the Noble Ones, Kalamas, who in this
way is devoid of coveting, devoid of ill will, undeluded, clearly
comprehending and mindful, dwells, having pervaded, with the thought
of amity, one quarter; likewise the second; likewise the third;
likewise the fourth; so above, below, and across; he dwells, having
pervaded because of the existence in it of all living beings,
everywhere, the entire world, with the great, exalted, boundless
thought of amity that is free of hate or malice.
"He lives, having pervaded, with the thought of compassion,
one quarter; likewise the second; likewise the third; likewise
the fourth; so above, below, and across; he dwells, having pervaded
because of the existence in it of all living beings, everywhere,
the entire world, with the great, exalted, boundless thought of
compassion that is free of hate or malice.
"He lives, having pervaded, with the thought of gladness,
one quarter; likewise the second; likewise the third; likewise
the fourth; so above, below, and across; he dwells, having pervaded
because of the existence in it of all living beings, everywhere,
the entire world, with the great, exalted, boundless thought of
gladness that is free of hate or malice.
"He lives, having pervaded, with the thought of equanimity,
one quarter; likewise the second; likewise the third; likewise
the fourth; so above, below, and across; he dwells, having pervaded
because of the existence in it of all living beings, everywhere,
the entire world, with the great, exalted, boundless thought of
equanimity that is free of hate or malice.
The Four Solaces
17. "The disciple of the Noble Ones, Kalamas, who has such
a hate-free mind, such a malice-free mind, such an undefiled mind,
and such a purified mind, is one by whom four solaces are found
here and now.
"'Suppose there is a hereafter and there is a fruit, result,
of deeds done well or ill. Then it is possible that at the dissolution
of the body after death, I shall arise in the heavenly world,
which is possessed of the state of bliss.' This is the first solace
found by him.
"'Suppose there is no hereafter and there is no fruit, no
result, of deeds done well or ill. Yet in this world, here and
now, free from hatred, free from malice, safe and sound, and happy,
I keep myself.' This is the second solace found by him.
"'Suppose evil (results) befall an evil-doer. I, however,
think of doing evil to no one. Then, how can ill (results) affect
me who do no evil deed?' This is the third solace found by him.
"'Suppose evil (results) do not befall an evil-doer. Then
I see myself purified in any case.' This is the fourth solace
found by him.
"The disciple of the Noble Ones, Kalamas, who has such a
hate-free mind, such a malice-free mind, such an undefiled mind,
and such a purified mind, is one by whom, here and now, these
four solaces are found."
"So it is, Blessed One. So it is, Sublime one. The disciple
of the Noble Ones, venerable sir, who has such a hate-free mind,
such a malice-free mind, such an undefiled mind, and such a purified
mind, is one by whom, here and now, four solaces are found.
"'Suppose there is no hereafter and there is no fruit, no
result, of deeds done well or ill. Yet in this world, here and
now, free from hatred, free from malice, safe and sound, and happy,
I keep myself.' This is the second solace found by him.
"'Suppose evil (results) befall an evil-doer. I, however,
think of doing evil to no one. Then, how can ill (results) affect
me who do no evil deed?' This is the third solace found by him.
"'Suppose evil (results) do not befall an evil-doer. Then
I see myself purified in any case.' This is the fourth solace
found by him.
"The disciple of the Noble Ones, venerable sir, who has such
a hate-free mind, such a malice-free mind, such an undefiled mind,
and such a purified mind, is one by whom, here and now, these
four solaces are found."
"Marvelous, venerable sir! Marvelous, venerable sir! As if,
venerable sir, a person were to turn face upwards what is upside
down, or to uncover the concealed, or to point the way to one
who is lost or to carry a lamp in the darkness, thinking, 'Those
who have eyes will see visible objects,' so has the Dhamma been
set forth in many ways by the Blessed One. We, venerable sir,
go to the Blessed One for refuge, to the Dhamma for refuge, and
to the Community of Bhikkhus for refuge. Venerable sir, may the
Blessed One regard us as lay followers who have gone for refuge
for life, from today."
Anguttara Nikaya, Tika Nipata
Mahavagga, Sutta No. 65
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