As they were sitting to one side, the Kalamas of Kesaputta said to the Blessed One, 'Lord, there are some priests & contemplatives who come to Kesaputta. They expound & glorify their own doctrines, but as for the doctrines of others, they deprecate them, revile them, show contempt for them, & disparage them. And then other priests & contemplatives come to Kesaputta. They expound & glorify their own doctrines, but as for the doctrines of others, they deprecate them, revile them, show contempt for them, & disparage them. They leave us simply uncertain & doubtful: Which of these venerable priests & contemplatives are speaking the truth, and which ones are lying?'
'Of course you are uncertain, Kalamas. Of course you are doubtful. 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 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 & carried out, lead to harm & to suffering" — then you should abandon them...
'What do you think, Kalamas? When greed arises in a person, does it arise for welfare or for harm?'
'For harm, lord.'
'And this greedy person, overcome by greed, his mind possessed by greed: Doesn't he kill living beings, take what is not given, go after another person's wife, tell lies, and induce others to do likewise, all of which is for long-term harm & suffering?'
'Yes, lord.'
(Similarly for aversion & delusion.)
So what do you think, Kalamas: Are these qualities skillful or unskillful?'
'Unskillful, lord.'
'Blameworthy or blameless?'
'Blameworthy, lord.'
'Criticized by the wise or praised by the wise?'
'Criticized by the wise, lord.'
'When adopted & carried out, do they lead to harm & to suffering, or not?'
'When adopted & carried out, they lead to harm & to suffering...'
'...Now, Kalamas, don't go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by 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 skillful; these qualities are blameless; these qualities are praised by the wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to welfare & to happiness" — then you should enter & remain in them.
'What do you think, Kalamas? When lack of greed arises in a person, does it arise for welfare or for harm?'
'For welfare, lord.'
'And this ungreedy person, not overcome by greed, his mind not possessed by greed: He doesn't kill living beings, take what is not given, go after another person's wife, tell lies, or induce others to do likewise, all of which is for long-term welfare & happiness — right?'
'Yes, lord.'
(Similarly for lack of aversion & lack of delusion.)
So what do you think, Kalamas: Are these qualities skillful or unskillful?'
'Skillful, lord.'
'Blameworthy or blameless?'
'Blameless, lord.'
'Criticized by the wise or praised by the wise?'
'Praised by the wise, lord.'
'When adopted & carried out, do they lead to welfare & to happiness, or not?'
'When adopted & carried out, they lead to welfare & to happiness...'
— AN 3.65
The Kalama Sutta
Do not simply believe what you hear just because you have heard it for a long time, or it has been spoken by the sages, teachers and authorities.
Do not follow tradition blindly merely because it has been practised in that way for many generations.
Do not be quick to listen to rumours.
Do not confirm or accept anything just because it agrees with your scriptures.
Do not foolishly make assumptions.
Do not abruptly draw conclusions by what you see and hear.
Do not be fooled by outward appearances.
Do not hold on tightly to any view or idea just because you are comfortable with it, or that it has been spoken by many, by the teachers, sages or authorities; or that it has been passed down for a long time.
Do not accept as fact anything that you yourself find to be logical.
They are NOT beneficial and are to be avoided.
These things allow you time and space to develop a happy and peaceful mind. This should be your criteria on what is and what is not the truth; on what should be and what should not be the spiritual practice.
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What is right & What is wrong
What is right (good kamma) and what is wrong (bad kamma)
"Rahula, whatever action of body, speech and mind, done deliberately, which creates happiness for yourself, for other people and for other beings, that is called good kamma (right), which helps, which serves, which creates greater peace, happiness, and harmony in this world, This is called good kamma (right).
Whichever that creates more suffering, more pain, more disharmony, and more violence in this world; Whatever that is, that is bad kamma (wrong)."
- The Buddha
What is the right thing to do?
The right thing is the most compassionate thing.
What is the most compassionate thing?
The most compassionate thing is the wisest thing.
What is the wisest thing?
The wisest thing is that which brings or cause no harm to all beings.
The wisest thing is that which when done, creates more love, more kindness, more forgiveness, more peace, more happiness and more harmony to all beings, and the world.
The wrong thing is that which when done, creates and brings about more pain, more suffering, more jealousy, more hurt, more anger, more hate, more unhappiness, more disharmony and cause harm to all beings, and the world.
