The Kalama Sutta - Buddha's Charter of Free Inquiry

(The Kalama Sutta: The Buddha's Charter of Free Inquiry - By Barbara O'Brien)

In most religions, the authority of God or a prophet, as revealed in scripture and interpreted by religious institutions, is the arbiter of what is true. Buddhism presents a greater challenge: We are the arbiters of what is true. However, that doesn't mean that we can choose to believe whatever we like. The Buddha's teachings on judging truth are found in the Kalama Sutta. The Kalama Sutta (or Sutra) is found in the oldest Buddhist scripture, the Tripitaka (in the Anguttara Nikaya, which is in the Sutra-pitaka). The Kalama Sutta has gained great favor in the West because of its advice to question authority and rely on oneself.

However, the Theravada scholar Bhikkhu Bodhi writes that this sutra is often misinterpreted. "Buddha has been made out to be a pragmatic empiricist who dismisses all doctrine and faith, and whose Dhamma is simply a freethinker's kit to truth which invites each one to accept and reject whatever he likes." Instead, the Buddha provides examples and a framework by which people can test teachings and judge their veracity.

Synopsis of the Kalama Sutta

The Buddha and several of his monks traveled through the Kosala country and entered a town of the Kalama people called Kesaputta. The Kamala people told the Buddha that many monks and brahmans had come to Kesaputta before him. Each of these religious men had expounded their own doctrines and reviled the doctrines of others. "Venerable sir," they asked the Buddha, "Which of these reverend monks and brahmans spoke the truth and which falsehood?"

Here the Buddha gave one of his most widely quoted teachings (Thanissaro Bhikkhu translation):

"Of course you are uncertain, Kalamas. Of course you are in doubt. When there are reasons for doubt, uncertainty is born. So in this case, Kalamas, don't go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, 'This contemplative is our teacher.' When you know for yourselves that, 'These qualities are unskillful; these qualities are blameworthy; these qualities are criticized by the wise; these qualities, when adopted and carried out, lead to harm & to suffering' -- then you should abandon them."

By the same token, "When you know for yourselves that, 'These qualities are skillful; these qualities are blameless; these qualities are praised by the wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to welfare and to happiness' -- then you should enter & remain in them."

By gently asking them questions, the Buddha guided the Kalamas to understand that teachings based in greed, hate and delusion are unskillful. Teachings absent of greed, hate and delusion are skillful. By applying these criteria, we can understand truth from falsehood.

Skillfulness and the Three Poisons

Greed, anger and ignorance are called the Three Poisons. The Buddha taught that when our actions are conditioned by the Three Poisons, the results will be harmful and lead to suffering, stress or disappointment (dukkha). So when we are making moral and ethical decisions, we first must examine ourselves and take care that we aren't in fact allowing ourselves to be jerked around by the Three Poisons.

Allowing the Three Poisons to steer our actions is called "unskillful," or in Sanskrit, akushala. Note that the word akushala is often translated into English as "evil." To do good, we cultivate generosity, loving kindness, and wisdom. Doing this is Right Effort.

The important point to remember here is that the Kalama Sutta is not a permission slip to do whatever feels good at the time. It challenges us to be deeply honest and pure of motivation. The teachings of most religions deny that such self-honesty and purity are possible, and thus they teach external authority is necessary.

Ignorance and Wisdom

It's important to be clear about what Buddhism means by "ignorance" and "wisdom." Ignorance is not a lack of information, and wisdom is not intelligence or knowledge. Wisdom, or prajna in Sanskrit, is the realization of things as they are. It is the understanding or discernment -- beyond mere cognitive knowledge -- of the Buddha's teaching, especially the teaching of anatta, no self.

At this point you may be grumbling that the Kalama Sutta says we don't have to believe in doctrines just because some teacher taught them, even if that teacher was the historical Buddha. And that's right; you don't have to believe anything just because it comes from authority. But if you are choosing to walk the Eightfold Path, you are working with Right View to thoroughly realize the teachings of the Four Noble Truths. This is what Buddhism is. This is what enlightenment is.

See also: "What do Buddhists believe?"

 

The Four Exalted Dwellings

The next part of the sutta explains the Four Exalted Dwellings: amity, compassion, gladness and equanimity (see also the Four Immeasurables). Those who reside in these dwellings will receive the Four Solaces:

"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.

Notice he's not saying there is or is not an afterlife, just that skillful behavior will reward you whether there is an afterlife or not. The Buddha said we can also take solace in not causing evil to others and not bringing evil on oneself.

Again, the Kalama Sutta is not at all a permission slip to believe what you want and do what you like. It is, however, a logical argument that one can know the rightness or wrongness of actions by their effects and whether they bring you peace and happiness or stress and misery.

Most of the year,  like most holy teachers of his time, the Buddha would walk from village to village teaching, answering questions and talking also to people. One day, together with some of his followers, the Buddha arrived at the town KESAPUTTA, home of the KALAMA people. The news spread of Buddha's arrival. "The Buddha is here!" and The enlighten one is here. They have heard about the teacher, a man famous for his great wisdom. Evryone wanted to see him. Respectfully they sat down around him. They had a burning question.

Sir, we often have visits of holly teachers. Each one tells us how to live our lives. Each one tells us that they are right and the other teachers are wrong. Some say if you want to be happy, it is important to burn the right kind of incense every evening. 

Another holly teachers come along with their ideas and say they are right and the other teachers are stupid. We dont know who to believe. How can we tell which one is speaking the truth?

I am not surprised about you are confused because this is indeed a difficult question. It is important not to believe what someone tells you, just because lots of other people think like that. Or because it is traditional, or because there are rumours about it.

Advice:

Dont believe someone because they seem to know the scriptures  very well, Or because they have strong opinions. Also dont believe what someone says where there is no evidence. or without much discussion. Or just because it sounds familiar. You cant even just believe someone who seems knowledgeable and well educated. Even if you feel respect for them as your teacher. The only way to know whether some is speaking the truth is to test their advice in your own experience. Then if you feel really sure tha the teaching is likely to cause harm or unhappiness you should reject it. If  following a teacher's advice make you feel greedy or angry or full of hatred, or confusion, is that helpful? No. Certainly not.

Ask yourself how things might turn out if you follow a particular piece of advice? For example, if you take things which arnt yours, are you likely to cause harm to yourself or others? If you speak untruthfully, or cloud your mind with drinks or drugs are you likely to harm to yourself or others?

You can also think of someone more experienced than you whose opinion you already respect . What would they think of this teaching? If you really think following a particular piece of advice would help you and others become happy, then go ahead. Follow that advice. If you found that following a particular adivice helped you to avoid greed, hatred and confusion such a teaching would be helpful. Wouldn't it? - Yes, it certainly would.

A person who is free from greed, hatred and confusion, will feel much better.

If your mind is free and peaceful, and your heart is full of love and compassion for the whole world, you will experience great comfort and happiness.

I have asked you to look into own experience to decide whether something worth following or not.

But when it comes to what happen after death, its not possible to do this, is it?

There are so many views and pinions but how can we know in our own experience?

However,  remember what I have told you today. Living ethically, with kindness and wisdom leads to happiness and well being. This is true for this life. And if there are future lives, it would be true for those too.

So regardless of what you believe, the important thing is  that you are trying to live with a clear mind and a kind heart and you can see the consequences of your actions for yourselves and others around you.

Fantastic sir. Fantastic. Its like someone is lightening a candle in the darkness.

The KALAMAS were so impressed and grateful about the Buddha's answer. They decided to go home and live by. his teachings.