This teaching by the Buddha is very famous with just cause. The Kalama people (of North India) were being confused by all the different missionaries with their different religious teachings. Doubt had arisen as to which were the best teachings to follow. How to evaluate them?
THE KALAMA SUTTA
Yes! Kalamas, it is right for you to doubt, doubt has arisen in a doubtful matter. Come, O Kalamas, do not accept anything as true based on hearsay, based on tradition, based on dogmatism, based on authority of scripture, based on reason, based on logic, based on inference from logic, based on intuition, based on probability or, based on faith of a teacher; but, when you know for yourselves: “these things are unwholesome, these things are wrong, these things are harmful and lead to unhappiness”, then you should reject them. And when you know for yourselves that: “these things are wholesome, these things are blameless, these things are good and lead to happiness,” then accept them and follow them. (Much Shortened)
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Comment:
This sutta urges the listener to open his mind and think and observe for himself and not accept blindly the indoctrination or superstitions given by others. Notice how the Buddha has defined what is “good” and “not good” (bad). Good is defined as what is socially beneficial. (The term “evil,” a Christian term calculated to stir the passions, does not enter Buddhist village vocabulary.)
Note1: that by using “not good” he has carefully and in brilliant wisdom, avoided using an extreme term and so, his followers avoid situations arising in future where “good” people are induced to anger, hatred and the motivation to attack “evil” and so, be distracted from the Noble Eightfold Path. He did the world a great service.
Note2 : Most people are in a hurry, working or just too tired and so, accept what other people say as truth. If fact, all too many people become slaves to other people’s propaganda because they lack worldly experience or do not observe or think for themselves.
The truth is always more complicated than a simple explanation.
But with people with you – politicians can act in extreme ways. Punish! – zero tolerance! To hell with compassion! Great harm is done. – and those in power like to have that (fascistic) control.
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This Sutra is available in full as a booklet from:
The Buddhist Cultural Centre,
125, Anderson Road, Nedimala,
Dehiwela,
Sri Lanka E-mail: [email protected]
and :
The Buddhist Publication Society,
54, Sangharaja Mawatha,
Sri Lanka. E-mail: <[email protected]>
Web: <ww.lanka.com/dhamma>
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Motto:
“The Gift of Truth, which leads to WISDOM, is the Greatest of ALL GIFTS”
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Tibetan Motto:
“The Wise Pursue Wisdom; the Dull Follow Others in Blind Belief”
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