Long long ago, in the king's pleasure garden lived a large troop of monkeys.
The monkeys have a leader - the monkey king, and they always listened to their king, not bothering to think, contemplate or question.
As New Year's Day was approaching, the royal gardener will be going on leave, just like everyone else.
He decided to hand his duties over to the monkeys while he was away.
He approached the monkey king and said,
"Monkey king, my friend, would you do me a favour, please? New Year's Day is coming and I'll be going on leave to celebrate. There are plenty of fruits, berries and nuts to eat in this lovely garden, and you and your friends are free to feast on them. But can you and your friends help me water the trees and plants while I'm gone?"
"Sure, my friend! We'll do an excellent job. You'll be proud of us. Rest assured. Enjoy your holiday with no worries." the monkey king replied.
After showing the monkeys where the water buckets were kept, the gardener left, happy and assured that the monkeys would be helping him.
The next day, as promised, the monkeys filled the buckets with water and started watering the trees and plants.
However, the monkey king stopped them.
"My dear subjects, this is not the way to water plants. Pull each young tree or plant up before watering. Check the length of their roots. Those with long roots, you give more water. Those with short roots, you give less. That way, we'll not waste water, and the gardener will be pleased." said the monkey king, happy with his wisdom.
The monkeys, without questioning or investigating, followed their king's orders.
Just then, the king's wise advisor happened to pass by the garden.
He saw how the monkeys were uprooting all the lovely trees and plants, measuring the roots, and carefully pouring water into the holes in the ground.
"Oh monkeys! What are you doing?" asked the advisor.
"We're watering the trees and plants for the royal gardener. Our wise and thoughtful king taught and instructed us to do it this way so as not to waste water. He said the gardener would be pleased." the monkeys answered naively with pride.
Amused and amazed by the reply, the advisor said,
"If this is the wisdom of the wisest among you, I can't imagine what are the rest of you like. By not questioning the rationale of your leader's instructions, you're turning a well-intended deed to a disaster!"
"Do not accept anything based upon mere reports, traditions or hearsay;
Nor upon the authority of religious texts;
Nor upon mere reasons and arguments;
Nor upon one's own inference;
Nor upon anything which appears to be true;
Nor upon one's own speculative opinions;
Nor upon another's seeming ability;
Nor upon the consideration : 'This is our Teacher, King, Ruler, etc"
But when you know for yourselves that certain things are unwholesome and bad : tending to harm yourself or others, reject them.
And when you know for yourselves that certain things are wholesome and good : conducive to the spiritual welfare of yourself and others, accept and follow them."
- The Kalama Sutta, The Buddha
