KALAMA SUTTA
The Buddha's Charter of Free Inquiry
Translated from the Pali
by
Soma Thera
The Wheel Publication No. 8
BUDDHIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY
KANDY SRI LANKA
Copyright 1981 Buddhist Publication Society
SL ISSN 0049-7541
First Impression 1959
Second Impression 1963
Third Impression 1977
Fourth Impression 1981
* * *
DharmaNet Edition 1994
Revised 1996 by John Bullitt <metta@world.std.com>
This electronic edition is offered for free distribution
via DharmaNet by arrangement with the publisher.
DharmaNet International
P.O. Box 4951, Berkeley CA 94704-4951
Transcribed for DharmaNet by Jut L. Blointh
* * * * * * * *
CONTENTS
Preface
Supplementary Texts
The Instruction to the Kalamas
Essay: A look at the Kalama Sutta (Bhikkhu Bodhi)
Changes Made During Transcription
About the BPS
Distribution Agreement
* * * * * * *
PREFACE
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.
The reasonableness of the Dhamma, the Buddha's teaching, is
chiefly evident in its welcoming careful examination at all stages
of the path to enlightenment. Indeed the whole course of training
for wisdom culminating in the purity of the consummate one (the
arhat) is intimately bound up with examination and analysis of
things internal: the eye and visible objects, the ear and sounds,
the nose and smells, the tongue and tastes, the body and tactile
impressions, the mind and ideas.
Thus since all phenomena have to be correctly understood in the
field of Dhamma, insight is operative throughout. In this sutta it
is active in rejecting the bad and adopting the good way; in the
extracts given below in clarifying the basis of knowledge of
conditionality and arhatship. Here it may be mentioned that the
methods of examination in the Kalama Sutta and in the extracts cited
here, have sprung from the knowledge of things as they are and that
the tenor of these methods are implied in all straight thinking.
Further, as penetration and comprehension, the constituents of
wisdom are the result of such thinking, the place of critical
examination and analysis in the development of right vision is
obvious. Where is the wisdom or vision that can descend, all of a
sudden, untouched and uninfluenced by a critical thought?
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.
More than fifty years ago, Moncure D. Conway, the author of "My
Pilgrimage to the Wise Men of the East," visited Colombo. He was a
friend of Ponnambalam Ramanathan (then Solicitor General of Ceylon),
and together with him Conway went to the Vidyodaya Pirivena to learn
something of the Buddha's teaching from Hikkaduve Siri Sumangala
Nayaka Thera, the founder of the institution. The Nayaka Thera
explained to them the principles contained in the Kalama Sutta and
at the end of the conversation Ramanathan whispered to Conway: "Is
it not strange that you and I, who come from far different religions
and regions, should together listen to a sermon from the Buddha in
favor of that free thought, that independence of traditional and
fashionable doctrines, which is still the vital principle of human
development?" -- Conway: "Yes, and we with the (Kalama) princes
pronounce his doctrines good."
* * * * *
SUPPLEMENTARY TEXTS
"Friend Savittha, apart from faith, apart from liking, apart from
what has been acquired by repeated hearing, apart from specious
reasoning, and from a bias towards a notion that has been pondered
over, I know this, I see this: 'Decay and death are due to birth.'"
Samyuttanikaya, Nidanavagga,
Mahavagga, Sutta No. 8
"Here a bhikkhu, having seen an object with the eye, knows when
greed, hate, and delusion are within, 'Greed, hate, and delusion are
in me'; he knows when greed, hate, and delusion are not within,
'Greed, hate, and delusion are not in me.' Bhikkhus, have these
things to be experienced through faith, liking, what has been
acquired by repeated hearing, specious reasoning, or a bias towards
a notion that has been pondered over?" -- "No, venerable sir." --
"Bhikkhus, this even is the way by which a bhikkhu, apart from
faith, liking, what has been acquired by repeated hearing, specious
reasoning, or a bias towards a notion that has been pondered over,
declares realization of knowledge thus: I know that birth has been
exhausted, the celibate life has been lived, what must be done has
been done and there is no more of this to come."
Samyuttanikaya, Salyatanavagga,
Navapuranavagga, Sutta No. 8
* * * * * * * *
THE INSTRUCTION TO THE KALAMAS
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 Sakiyans,
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.
Greed, hate, and delusion
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 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 Four Exalted Dwellings
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.
The Four Solaces
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."
Anguttara Nikaya, Tika Nipata,
Mahavagga, Sutta No. 65
* * * * * * * *
[The following commentary on the Kalama Sutta appeared in the
Buddhist Publication Society Newsletter (No. 9, 1988). It did not
appear in the original BPS edition of Wheel No. 8, but is included
in this DharmaNet edition as an aid to those interested in studying
this important sutta. The essay may also be found in a collection
of 25 essays by Bhikkhu Bodhi, also available via DharmaNet in the
file BBESSAYS.ZIP. -- John Bullitt, DharmaNet]
A LOOK AT THE KALAMA SUTTA
by Bhikkhu Bodhi
In this issue of the newsletter we have combined the feature essay
with the "Sutta Study" column as we take a fresh look at an often
quoted discourse of the Buddha, the Kalama Sutta. The discourse --
found in translation in Wheel No. 8 -- has been described as "the
Buddha's Charter of Free Inquiry," and though the discourse certainly
does counter the decrees of dogmatism and blind faith with a vigorous
call for free investigation, it is problematic whether the sutta can
support all the positions that have been ascribed to it. 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.
But does the Kalama Sutta really justify such views? Or do we meet in
these claims just another set of variations on that egregious old
tendency to interpret the Dhamma according to whatever notions are
congenial to oneself -- or to those to whom one is preaching? Let us
take as careful a look at the Kalama Sutta as the limited space
allotted to this essay will allow, remembering that in order to
understand the Buddha's utterances correctly it is essential to take
account of his own intentions in making them.
The passage that has been cited so often runs as follows: "Come,
Kalamas. Do not go upon what has been acquired by repeated hearing,
nor upon tradition, nor upon rumor, nor upon scripture, nor upon
surmise, nor upon axiom, nor upon specious reasoning, nor upon bias
towards a notion pondered over, nor upon another's seeming ability,
nor upon the consideration 'The monk is our teacher.' When you
yourselves know: 'These things are bad, blamable, censured by the
wise; undertaken and observed, these things lead to harm and ill,'
abandon them... When you yourselves know: 'These things are good,
blameless, praised by the wise; undertaken and observed, these things
lead to benefit and happiness,' enter on and abide in them."
Now this passage, like everything else spoken by the Buddha, has been
stated in a specific context -- with a particular audience and
situation in view -- and thus must be understood in relation to that
context. The Kalamas, citizens of the town of Kesaputta, had been
visited by religious teachers of divergent views, each of whom would
propound his own doctrines and tear down the doctrines of his
predecessors. This left the Kalamas perplexed, and thus when "the
recluse Gotama," reputed to be an Awakened One, arrived in their
township, they approached him in the hope that he might be able to
dispel their confusion. From the subsequent development of the sutta,
it is clear that the issues that perplexed them were the reality of
rebirth and kammic retribution for good and evil deeds.
The Buddha begins by assuring the Kalamas that under such
circumstances it is proper for them to doubt, an assurance which
encourages free inquiry. He next speaks the passage quoted above,
advising the Kalamas to abandon those things they know for themselves
to be bad and to undertake those things they know for themselves to
be good. This advice can be dangerous if given to those whose ethical
sense is undeveloped, and we can thus assume that the Buddha regarded
the Kalamas as people of refined moral sensitivity. In any case he
did not leave them wholly to their own resources, but by questioning
them led them to see that greed, hate and delusion, being conducive
to harm and suffering for oneself and others, are to be abandoned,
and their opposites, being beneficial to all, are to be developed.
The Buddha next explains that a "noble disciple, devoid of
covetousness and ill will, undeluded" dwells pervading the world with
boundless loving-kindness, compassion, appreciative joy and
equanimity. Thus purified of hate and malice, he enjoys here and now
four "solaces": If there is an afterlife and kammic result, then he
will undergo a pleasant rebirth, while if there is none he still
lives happily here and now; if evil results befall an evil-doer, then
no evil will befall him, and if evil results do not befall an
evil-doer, then he is purified anyway. With this the Kalamas express
their appreciation of the Buddha's discourse and go for refuge to the
Triple Gem.
Now does the Kalama Sutta suggest, as is often held, that a follower
of the Buddhist path can dispense with all faith and doctrine, that
he should make his own personal experience the criterion for judging
the Buddha's utterances and for rejecting what cannot be squared with
it? It is true the Buddha does not ask the Kalamas to accept anything
he says out of confidence in himself, but let us note one important
point: the Kalamas, at the start of the discourse, were not the
Buddha's disciples. They approached him merely as a counselor who
might help dispel their doubts, but they did not come to him as the
Tathagata, the Truth-finder, who might show them the way to spiritual
progress and to final liberation.
Thus, because the Kalamas had not yet come to accept the Buddha in
terms of his unique mission, as the discloser of the liberating
truth, it would not have been in place for him to expound to them the
Dhamma unique to his own Dispensation: such teachings as the Four
Noble Truths, the three characteristics, and the methods of
contemplation based upon them. These teachings are specifically
intended for those who have accepted the Buddha as their guide to
deliverance, and in the suttas he expounds them only to those who
"have gained faith in the Tathagata" and who possess the perspective
necessary to grasp them and apply them. The Kalamas, however, at the
start of the discourse are not yet fertile soil for him to sow the
seeds of his liberating message. Still confused by the conflicting
claims to which they have been exposed, they are not yet clear even
about the groundwork of morality.
Nevertheless, after advising the Kalamas not to rely upon established
tradition, abstract reasoning, and charismatic gurus, the Buddha
proposes to them a teaching that is immediately verifiable and
capable of laying a firm foundation for a life of moral discipline
and mental purification . He shows that whether or not there be
another life after death, a life of moral restraint and of love and
compassion for all beings brings its own intrinsic rewards here and
now, a happiness and sense of inward security far superior to the
fragile pleasures that can be won by violating moral principles and
indulging the mind's desires. For those who are not concerned to look
further, who are not prepared to adopt any convictions about a future
life and worlds beyond the present one, such a teaching will ensure
their present welfare and their safe passage to a pleasant rebirth --
provided they do not fall into the wrong view of denying an afterlife
and kammic causation.
However, for those whose vision is capable of widening to encompass
the broader horizons of our existence. this teaching given to the
Kalamas points beyond its immediate implications to the very core of
the Dhamma. For the three states brought forth for examination by the
Buddha -- greed, hate and delusion -- are not merely grounds of wrong
conduct or moral stains upon the mind. Within his teaching's own
framework they are the root defilements -- the primary causes of all
bondage and suffering -- and the entire practice of the Dhamma can be
viewed as the task of eradicating these evil roots by developing to
perfection their antidotes -- dispassion, kindness and wisdom.
Thus the discourse to the Kalamas offers an acid test for gaining
confidence in the Dhamma as a viable doctrine of deliverance. We
begin with an immediately verifiable teaching whose validity can be
attested by anyone with the moral integrity to follow it through to
its conclusions, namely, that the defilements cause harm and
suffering both personal and social, that their removal brings peace
and happiness, and that the practices taught by the Buddha are
effective means for achieving their removal. By putting this teaching
to a personal test, with only a provisional trust in the Buddha as
one's collateral, one eventually arrives at a firmer, experientially
grounded confidence in the liberating and purifying power of the
Dhamma. This increased confidence in the teaching brings along a
deepened faith in the Buddha as teacher, and thus disposes one to
accept on trust those principles he enunciates that are relevant to
the quest for awakening, even when they lie beyond one's own capacity
for verification. This, in fact, marks the acquisition of right view,
in its preliminary role as the forerunner of the entire Noble
Eightfold Path.
Partly in reaction to dogmatic religion, partly in subservience to
the reigning paradigm of objective scientific knowledge, it has
become fashionable to hold, by appeal to the Kalama Sutta, that the
Buddha's teaching dispenses with faith and formulated doctrine and
asks us to accept only what we can personally verify. This
interpretation of the sutta, however, forgets that the advice the
Buddha gave the Kalamas was contingent upon the understanding that
they were not yet prepared to place faith in him and his doctrine; it
also forgets that the sutta omits, for that very reason, all mention
of right view and of the entire perspective that opens up when right
view is acquired. It offers instead the most reasonable counsel on
wholesome living possible when the issue of ultimate beliefs has been
put into brackets.
What can be justly maintained is that those aspects of the Buddha's
teaching that come within the purview of our ordinary experience can
be personally confirmed within experience, and that this confirmation
provides a sound basis for placing faith in those aspects of the
teaching that necessarily transcend ordinary experience. Faith in the
Buddha's teaching is never regarded as an end in itself nor as a
sufficient guarantee of liberation, but only as the starting point
for an evolving process of inner transformation that comes to
fulfillment in personal insight. But in order for this insight to
exercise a truly liberative function, it must unfold in the context
of an accurate grasp of the essential truths concerning our situation
in the world and the domain where deliverance is to be sought. These
truths have been imparted to us by the Buddha out of his own profound
comprehension of the human condition. To accept them in trust after
careful consideration is to set foot on a journey which transforms
faith into wisdom, confidence into certainty, and culminates in
liberation from suffering.
* * * * * * *
CHANGES MADE DURING TRANSCRIPTION
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In preparing this electronic edition for DharmaNet, some minor
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In order to make this text readable by as wide an audience as
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In addition, the following changes were made:
[none]
* * * * * * * *
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TITLE OF WORK: Kalama Sutta: The Buddha's Charter of Free Inquiry
(The Wheel Publication No. 8)
EDITION: 1996 (Missing paragraph restored in Part 17 of sutta by
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AUTHOR: Soma Thera, tr.
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