(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 Sakyans, 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.
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 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."
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 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.'
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.
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 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, 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."