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
