KALAMA SUTRA

The Kālāma Sutta , is a discourse of the Buddha contained in the Aṅguttara Nikaya of the Tipiṭaka. It is often cited by those of theTheravada and Mahayana traditions alike as the Buddha's "charter of free inquiry."

The sutta starts off by describing how the Buddha passes through the village of Kesaputta and is greeted by its inhabitants, the Kalamas of the title. They ask for his advice: they say that many wandering holy men and ascetics pass through, expounding their teachings and criticizing the teachings of others. So whose teachings should they follow? He delivers in response a sermon that serves as an entry point to the Buddhadhamma for those unconvinced by mere spectacular revelation.

The Buddha proceeds to list the criteria by which any sensible person can decide which teachings to accept as true. Do not believe religious teachings, he tells the Kalamas, just because they are claimed to be true, or even through the application of various methods or techniques. Direct knowledge grounded in one's own experience can be called upon. He advises that the words of the wise should be heeded and taken into account. Not, in other words, passive acceptance but, rather, constant questioning and personal testing to identify those truths which you are able to demonstrate to yourself actually reduce your own stress or misery:

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.'

Thus, the Buddha provides ten specific sources which should not be used to accept a specific teaching as true, without further verification:

Oral history
Traditional
News sources
Scriptures or other official texts
Suppositional reasoning
Philosophical reasoning
Common sense
One's own opinions
Authorities or experts
One's own teacher

Instead, the Buddha says, only when one personally knows that a certain teaching is skillful, blameless, praiseworthy, and conducive tohappiness, and that it is praised by the wise, should one then accept it as true and practice it. Thus, as stated by Bhikkhu Bodhi, neither was this teaching intended as an endorsement of radical skepticism:

“

On the basis of a single passage, quoted out of context, the 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.

”

However, it seems not all Buddhists agree. According to Ven. Soma Thera, the Kalama Sutta is just that; the Buddha's charter of free inquiry:

“

The instruction of the Kalamas (Kalama Sutta) is justly famous for its encouragement of free inquiry; the spirit of the sutta signifies a teaching that is exempt from fanaticism, bigotry, dogmatism, and intolerance.

”

Buddha's Assurances

The first and main part of the Kalama Sutta is often quoted, but an equally important section of the Kalama Sutta follows on from this. This section (17) features the Buddha's four assurances, or solaces. Vaguely reminiscent of Pascal's Wager, the Buddha says that whether or not there are consequences to one's actions or not (kamma), whether there is an afterlife or not (rebirth), a happy, morally correct life in the here and now is what is most important and is assurance in itself:

"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." - Kalama Sutta, translated by Soma Thera ^[4]

On these four solaces, Ven. Soma Thera wrote:

“

The Kalama Sutta, which sets forth the principles that should be followed by a seeker of truth, and which contains a standard things are judged by, belongs to a framework of the Dhamma; the four solaces taught in the sutta point out the extent to which the Buddha permits suspense of judgment in matters beyond normal cognition. The solaces show that the reason for a virtuous life does not necessarily depend on belief in rebirth or retribution, but on mental well-being acquired through the overcoming of greed, hate, and delusion.

The Kālāma Sutta, more properly called the Kesaputtiya Sutta, is one of the Buddha’s most famous and interesting discourses (A.I,187). Numerous wandering teachers used to come to the town of Kesaputta promoting their ownreligion and disparaging other religions. The townspeople eagerly listened to these teachers but all the conflicting opinions and claims left them completely confused. When the Buddha came to Kesaputta the people said to him: ‘We have doubt, we are confused as to which of these teachers are speaking truth and which falsehood.’ The Buddha replied to them saying: ‘Do not rely on revelation, tradition, hearsay, the sacred scriptures, logical reasoning, inferential reasoning, reflection, pondering, on the apparent competence of the speaker, or just because you think “He is our teacher.” But when you know for yourself: “These things are good, laudable, praised by the wise and when practised lead to your welfare and happiness” then you should follow them.’ Thus, rather than take this opportunity to promote his own teaching, the Buddha encouraged the Kālāmas to think in ways that would help them see what is and is not a valid means of knowledge. And for the Buddha, personal experience is a better guide to truth than these ten other means.

Kesaputta, where the Buddha delivered the Kālāma Sutta, is now identified with the village of Kesariya about 50 kilometres northwest of Vesāli in the modern Indian state of Bihar. A large stūpa marks the place.

THE KĀLĀMA SUTTA is probably over-rated. It is an interesting sutta, but far too much has been claimed for it, and so it has become something of an albatross around the neck of Buddhists. It's wrongly quoted in support of a raft of ideas, many rooted in 19th Century Romanticism, that appeal to modern Buddhists but that don't have much to do with traditional Buddhism.

Still it was a good exercise to translate it, and see for myself what it actually says. I concluded that far from being a "charter for free enquiry" as Soma Thera has suggested, it is a more of an apologetic for Buddhist morality. The text basically says this: "if you are an intelligent person, then you will be a good Buddhist". It is aimed at people who are already Buddhist, so it is really saying, "congratulations on choosing Buddhism as your religion, the choice of all right-thinking people". The morality it portrays isattractive however, because it it is located in relationship with other people. We Buddhists can often talk about 'skilful' and 'unskilful' actions in the abstract, but in the Kālāma Sutta it's clear that these terms convey qualities of how we relate people.

In any case the Kālāma Sutta is puzzling in some respects. Although teachers who "proclaim one thing and dispute everything else" are cited, we never quite find out what they teach, nor why they disagree. And although the sutta portrays the ideal Buddhist as dwelling in the brahmavihāras, we are not told how this relates to the morality preceding it. Nor is it clear how the four consolations at the end of the sutta relate to the rest of it.

So it was with interest that I stumbled on the Pāṭaliya Sutta (SN 42.13; PTS S iv.340). Although the setting is different, this is basically the same story as the Kālāma Sutta. [1] Here the Buddha is in Koliya, rather than Kosala, and the town is called Uttara instead of Kesaputta. The teaching is delivered to a single person, rather than to a group. However the outline of part iii of this sutta is the same as the Kālāma Sutta, and many of the same standard phrases occur in the same places. In the Pāṭaliya various teachers come and teach different things, though this time the teachings are spelled out as various extreme views on the connection between actions and consequences. One can see why their views conflict because they take diametrically opposed stances. However the result is the same: doubt and perplexity. The solution here, though, is to achieve concentration ofdhamma and concentration of mind.

One begins by practising the ten right actions. [2] One who abandons the unskilful states of mind dwells in the brahmavihāra states - mettā, karuṇā, muditā, upekkhā. So here the connection between morality and the brahmavihāras is explicit. Contra later traditions, here one cultivates loving kindness, compassion etc., primarily through practising the precepts, that is primarily through cultivating non-harming (and its corollaries) towards other people. Rather than a seated meditation practice, here the brahmavihāras seem to emerge from personal interactions. From this sublime state of constantly relating to all beings on the basis of kindness and compassion, elsewhere compared to liberation itself, one is able to reflect properly on the content of the various teachings on actions and consequences.

But here's the thing: the text does not untangle the views of these other teachers. It just says thatwhatever the truth is, the Buddhist is better off (like the Kālāma Sutta this text is a Buddhist apologetic). Whatever the various doctrines are, the virtuous person, dwelling in brahmavihāras, knows that they themselves never oppress anyone and therefore in each case they are "lucky both ways": in this life, and in any future life they are protected by their harmless lifestyle. There is no attempt to engage with the metaphysics of the various doctrines and ideologies. This lack of interest in metaphysics seems to underlie the argument that it doesn't matter what you believe - "Buddhism without beliefs" as it is sometimes called. And maybe it doesn't so long as you relate to all beings with loving kindness and compassion and sympathy. In reality the view that it doesn't matter what you believe is a philosophical fudge. The text is very much in the camp of saying that actions dohave consequences, and that we can think of those consequences at the very least as desirable and undesirable, but probably in terms of good and evil as well. And this is a very definite metaphysical position on actions having consequences. Only an naive reading of the Kālāna Sutta concludes that it doesn't matter what you believe, but here in the Pāṭaliya Sutta it is much more clear.

Knowing that they are protected by their own virtue the ideal Buddhist experiences joy, rapture, serenity, bliss and concentration (pamojja, pīti, passadhi, sukha, samādhi) . These are the central steps on the Spiral Path (or upanisās as I call them) and the steps that unite all the textual variations of the Spiral Path. I also see them relating to the jhānas. With joy as a base, I think each item from rapture to samādhi represents the primary quality of a series of increasingly refined states of consciousness roughly equivalent to the first four jhānas.

It is from integration (samādhi) that one is able to dispel perplexity. From a state of equanimous absorption one is able to see things as they are. Though this text leaves the reader at samādhi, dozens of other texts make it clear that it is on the basis of samādhi that knowledge and vision of things as they are (yathābhūta-ñāṇadassana) arises.

The Pāṭaliya Sutta has some advantages over the Kālāma Sutta. Firstly the details of the story are more complete. The kinds of teachings which perplex are spelled out, and it is clear why anyone espousing those views would vehemently disagree with other views. The argument is over whether actions have consequences. Some argue that there are no consequences. One graphic image used for this is going along the banks of the Ganges killing or mutilating every living being. One teacher argues that no evil will result, another that it most certainly will result in evil. Note here that we are not arguing over whether the act itself is evil - we are concerned with consequences. This is a feature of Indian moral philosophy as portrayed in Buddhist texts (whether this is a genuine portrait of Indian moral philosophy is a moot point).

The method of the Buddha is also spelled out, and more clearly linked to the threefold path of morality, meditation & wisdom. Because it incorporates the Spiral Path this is a more coherent telling of the story. The Spiral Path has the special function of showing how liberation is possible. Without it, it is more difficult to see how the unawakened can create the conditions for awakening through living an ethical life, through paying attention in particular ways, and through contemplations leading to seeing through (vipassana). [3]

This sutta also allows us to see how the four consolations of the ideal Buddhist (ariya-savaka) relate to the views being expressed by the various teachers, and to "being lucky both ways". They aren't stand alone ideas, but link back to the morality under discussion.

This story is told in full no less than three times in the Canon, each time in a different place to a different audience (see note 1). So we should careful about associating it too strongly with the Kālāmas. It's a story, remembered in several different forms. In addition there are cross-over points with some other stories. I think these examples of multiple recensions of stories, with substantial differences, represent different oral lineages. Though I don't have the patience or the skill to do so, I predict that through a detailed examination of the language used in these parallel versions of stories it would be possible to identify lineages of story telling. I gather, for instance, that there are stylistic and even linguistic differences between the various nikāyas - though these might be due to the collators imposing a 'house style' on their collection.

Anguttara Nikāya, Tika Nipāta, Mahāvagga, Sutta No. 65

The Kālāmas 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 Kālāma people called Kesaputta. The

Kālāmas who were inhabitants of Kesaputta heard: “Reverend Gotama, the monk, the son of

the Sākiyans, 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 tameable men, teacher of divine and human beings,

enlightened, blessed. He makes known this world with its beings, its māras and its brahmas,

and the group of creatures, with its monks and brahmins, and its divine and human beings,

which he by himself has through direct knowledge understood clearly. He sets 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 Kālāmas 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 Kālāmas of Kesaputta ask for guidance from Buddha

3. The Kālāmas 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, Kālāmas, to doubt, to be uncertain; uncertainty has arisen in you

about what is doubtful. Come, Kālāmas. Do not go upon what has been acquired by

repeated hearing; nor upon tradition; nor upon rumour; 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.’ Kālāmas, when you yourselves know: ’These

things are bad; these things are blameable; 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, Kālāmas? Does greed appear in a man for his benefit or harm?” —

“For his harm, venerable sir.” — “Kālāmas, 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 conducive for his harm and ill for a

long time?” — “Yes, venerable sir.”

6. “What do you think, Kālāmas? Does hate appear in a man for his benefit or harm?” —

“For his harm, venerable sir.” — “Kālāmas, 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 conducive for his harm and ill for a long

time?” — “Yes, venerable sir.”

7. “What do you think, Kālāmas? Does delusion appear in a man for his benefit or harm?”

— “For his harm, venerable sir.” — “Kālāmas, 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 conducive for his

harm and ill for a long time?” — “Yes, venerable sir.”

8. “What do you think, Kālāmas? Are these things good or bad?” — “Bad, venerable sir”

— “Blameable or not blameable?” — “Blameable, 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, Kālāmas, what was said thus, ’Come Kālāmas. Do not go upon

what has been acquired by repeated hearing; nor upon tradition; nor upon rumour; 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.” Kālāmas,

when you yourselves know: “These things are bad; these things are blameable; 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, Kālāmas. Do not go upon what has been acquired by repeated hearing; nor

upon tradition; nor upon rumour; 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.’ Kālāmas, when you yourselves know: ’These things are good; these

things are not blameable; 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, Kālāmas? Does absence of greed appear in a man for his benefit or

harm?” — “For his benefit, venerable sir.” — “Kālāmas, 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 conducive for his benefit and happiness for a long time?” — “Yes,

venerable sir.”

12. “What do you think, Kālāmas? Does absence of hate appear in a man for his benefit or

harm?” — “For his benefit, venerable sir.” — “Kālāmas, 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 conducive for his benefit and happiness for a long time?” — “Yes,

venerable sir.”

13. “What do you think, Kālāmas? Does absence of delusion appear in a man for his

benefit or harm?” — “For his benefit, venerable sir.” — “Kālāmas, 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 conducive for his benefit and happiness for

a long time?” — “Yes, venerable sir.”

14. “What do you think, Kālāmas? Are these things good or bad?” — “Good, venerable

sir.” — “Blameable or not blameable?” — “Not blameable, 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, indeed, did we say, Kālāmas, what was said thus, ’Come Kālāmas. Do not

go upon what has been acquired by repeated hearing; nor upon tradition; nor upon rumour;

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.” Kālāmas,

when you yourselves know: “These things are good; these things are not blameable; these

things are praised by the wise; undertaken and observed, these things lead to benefit and

happiness,” enter on and abide in them.’

The Four Exalted Dwellings

16. “The disciple of the Noble Ones, Kālāmas, 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, Kālāmas, who has such a hate-free mind, such a malicefree

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 none. 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, Kālāmas, who has such a hate-free mind, such a malicefree

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