Kālāma Sutta
(On Not Believing Things on Mere Basis of Ten Kinds of Authority — Kālāma Sutta) [AN Tiṇakaṇipāta reference: sutta no. 505]
At one time the Blessed One (the Buddha — Gotama; Gotama — the Enlightened One of the Sākya clan) was traveling with a large saṅgha of bhikkhus (bhikkhu — ordained monks) through the country of Kosala (Kosala — an early northern kingdom). He came to Kesaputta (Kesaputta — the settlement of the Kālāma people), the dwelling-place of the Kālāma clan.
When the people of Kesaputta had learned that “the ascetic Gotama (the Sakyan) has gone forth from the Sākya household and has come to Kesaputta,” they reflected: “The good repute of the ascetic Gotama has spread thus: ‘He is free from defilements (kilesa — mental corruptions such as greed, hate, delusion), he is worthy of reverence (worthy of honour), he understands rightly by himself (one who knows for himself), he is complete in knowledge (vijjā) and conduct (cāra) that lead to knowledge; he has gone the good way; he has clearly seen the world; he instructs persons fit to be trained; there is no one better; he teaches gods and humans alike.’”
Having thought thus, they went together to see the Blessed One. Some of them greeted him with signs of reverence; some spoke words of congratulation and delight; some held their palms together in respectful salutation; some shouted the names and clans of their families; some sat in proper places; some remained silent. When the Kālāma people of Kesaputta had taken their seats in order, they said to the Blessed One:
“O Blessed One, there are ascetics and brahmins (samaṇa–brāhmaṇa — ascetics and brahmins) who come to Kesaputta and each expounds their own doctrines and disparages the doctrines of others, praising themselves and criticizing others, vilifying what is different and exalting what is their own. One group of ascetics comes, and another group comes who do the same, so that we are full of doubt and uncertainty: we do not know who speaks the truth and who speaks falsehood. Therefore we are in doubt.”
The Blessed One said: “Well said, you should be in doubt. Your doubt has arisen from a proper cause. Do not go merely by report (anussava — hearsay). Do not go merely by lineage or tradition (paramparā — succession). Do not go merely by hearsay of a single statement (itihita? — i.e., mere repeated saying). Do not go by the authority of scriptures (piṭaka — texts) alone. Do not go by logical reasoning or inference (takkāpicchā — inference). Do not go merely by probability or plausible reasoning (bahubbijena? — conjecture). Do not go merely by the apparent plausibility of a view (ṭhānayā? — assumption from appearances). Do not go merely by the idea, ‘This is our teacher;’ do not go merely because you like the speaker (atthāḷa? — personal liking); do not go merely on the ground that the speaker is respected (sacca? — credibility); do not go merely because one venerable person is called our teacher. When you yourselves know: ‘These things are unwholesome (akusala — morally unskillful), these things are blameworthy (āhuneyya — leading to blame), these things are criticized by the wise (anavajja), these things when fully carried out result in harm and suffering,’ then you should abandon them.”
After the Blessed One had thus forbidden accepting things on the basis of the ten kinds of authority, he set them to examine for themselves and understand what ought to be abandoned. Then he put questions about greed (lobha — covetousness/greed), hate (dosa — hatred/anger), and delusion (moha — ignorance/delusion), and had the Kālāmas answer in order as follows.
The Blessed One asked: “Kālāmas, when greed (lobha — excessive desire) arises in a person, does it arise for the sake of profit (benefit) or for the sake of harm (no benefit)?”
They answered: “Greed arises for the sake of harm (no benefit), O Lord.”
The Blessed One asked: “When a person is overcome by greed, when greed has dominion, when the heart is attached to greed, does that person kill living beings, take what is not given, commit sexual misconduct, tell lies, and persuade others to do likewise — actions that are unbeneficial and cause suffering to others? Is that so?”
They answered: “That is so, O Lord.”
The Blessed One asked: “Kālāmas, when hatred (dosa — ill will/hostility) arises in a person, does it arise for the sake of benefit or for the sake of no benefit?”
They answered: “Hatred arises for the sake of no benefit, O Lord.”
The Blessed One asked: “When a person is overcome by hatred, when hatred has dominion, when the heart is set upon hatred, does that person kill living beings, take what is not given, commit sexual misconduct, tell lies, and incite others to do likewise — actions that are unbeneficial and cause suffering to others? Is that so?”
They answered: “That is so, O Lord.”
The Blessed One asked: “Kālāmas, when delusion (moha — confusion, ignorance) arises in a person, does it arise for the sake of benefit or for the sake of no benefit?”
They answered: “Delusion arises for the sake of no benefit, O Lord.”
The Blessed One asked: “When a person is overcome by delusion, when delusion has dominion, when the heart clings to delusion, does that person kill living beings, take what is not given, commit sexual misconduct, tell lies, and incite others to do likewise — actions that are unbeneficial and cause suffering to others? Is that so?”
They answered: “That is so, O Lord.”
The Blessed One asked: “Kālāmas, are these things wholesome (kusala) or unwholesome (akusala)?”
They answered: “They are unwholesome, O Lord.”
The Blessed One asked: “Do they have bad consequences (are they blameworthy) or not?”
They answered: “They are blameworthy, O Lord.”
The Blessed One asked: “Are they criticized by the wise (anavajja) or praised?”
They answered: “They are criticized by the wise, O Lord.”
The Blessed One asked: “If anyone were to practice them fully, would that result in harm and suffering?”
They answered: “If anyone were to practice them fully, it would result in harm and suffering, O Lord.”
The Blessed One then said: “I have told you: Do not accept merely on the ground of hearsay, nor on tradition, nor on mere report, nor because it is written in scripture, nor by inference, nor by probability, nor by hypothetical reasoning, nor by the seeming appearance of a matter, nor because you feel ‘this suits our teacher,’ nor because the speaker seems credible, nor because the ascetic is called ‘our teacher.’ When you yourselves know by personal experience: ‘These things are unwholesome, these things are blamed (harmful), these things are criticized by the wise, these things when practiced fully result in harm and suffering’ — then you should abandon them.”
Then the Blessed One, having instructed the Kālāmas to use their own intelligence to discern for themselves what ought to be avoided, asked questions about the opposites — non-greed (alobha), non-hatred (adosa / adosa), and non-delusion (amoha) — and had them answer in order as follows.
The Blessed One asked: “Kālāmas, when non-greed (alobha — absence of covetousness; generous-mindedness) arises in a person, does it arise for the sake of benefit or for the sake of no benefit?”
They answered: “Non-greed arises for the sake of benefit, O Lord.”
The Blessed One asked: “When a person is free of greed, not subject to greed, with a mind not clinging to greed — does such a person refrain from killing living beings, refrain from taking what is not given, refrain from sexual misconduct, refrain from lying, and refrain from persuading others to do such harmful things — actions that are beneficial and bring welfare to others? Is that so?”
They answered: “That is so, O Lord.”
The Blessed One asked: “Kālāmas, when non-hatred (adosa — absence of ill will; goodwill) arises in a person, does it arise for the sake of benefit or for the sake of no benefit?”
They answered: “Non-hatred arises for the sake of benefit, O Lord.”
The Blessed One asked: “When a person is free of ill will, not overcome by hatred, with a mind not clinging to hatred — does such a person refrain from killing, refrain from taking what is not given, refrain from sexual misconduct, refrain from lying, and refrain from inducing others to do otherwise — actions that are beneficial and bring welfare to others? Is that so?”
They answered: “That is so, O Lord.”
The Blessed One asked: “Kālāmas, when non-delusion (amoha — absence of delusion; clarity) arises in a person, does it arise for the sake of benefit or for the sake of no benefit?”
They answered: “Non-delusion arises for the sake of benefit, O Lord.”
The Blessed One asked: “When a person is free of delusion, not dominated by ignorance, with a mind not clinging to delusion — does such a person refrain from killing, refrain from taking what is not given, refrain from sexual misconduct, refrain from lying, and refrain from persuading others to do harm — actions that are beneficial and bring welfare to others? Is that so?”
They answered: “That is so, O Lord.”
The Blessed One asked: “Kālāmas, are these things wholesome (kusala) or unwholesome (akusala)?”
They answered: “They are wholesome, O Lord.”
The Blessed One asked: “Do they have blame (are they harmless) or not?”
They answered: “They have no blame (they are harmless), O Lord.”
The Blessed One asked: “Are they praised by the wise or criticized?”
They answered: “They are praised by the wise, O Lord.”
The Blessed One asked: “If anyone were to practice them fully, would that result in benefit and welfare?”
They answered: “If anyone were to practice them fully, it would result in benefit and welfare, O Lord.”
The Blessed One then said: “I have explained to you: Do not accept things on the ground of hearsay, nor by tradition, nor by mere report, nor because it is written in scripture, nor by inference, nor by probability, nor by hypothetical reasoning, nor by the seeming appearance of a matter, nor because you like a view, nor because the speaker is reputed, nor because an ascetic is called ‘our teacher.’ When you yourselves know by direct experience: ‘These things are wholesome, these things have no blame, these things are praised by the wise, these things when practiced fully lead to benefit and welfare,’ then you should be steadfast in them.”
Having thus instructed the Kālāmas to use their own intelligence and discernment and to do what ought to be done, the Blessed One taught the fruits (the benefits) that accrue to one who practices accordingly. He said that such an ariya-sāvaka (noble disciple — ariyasāvaka; one who follows the noble ones and practices the noble Dhamma) is free from greed (alobha), free from hate (adosa), and free from delusion (amoha); has clear, attentive awareness (sampajañña — clear comprehension), mindfulness (sati), a heart suffused with loving-kindness (mettā — benevolent goodwill), compassion (karuṇā), sympathetic joy (muditā), and equanimity (upekkhā) spread boundlessly in all directions — above, below, around, throughout the world, to all beings without distinction — an immeasurable, boundless heart-state (appamāṇa) of the four brahmavihāras (mettā, karuṇā, muditā, upekkhā). Such an ariya-sāvaka lacks hostility, lacks oppression, is not dejected, is cleansed, and attains four kinds of reassurance (pāguññā / four kinds of “heart’s ease”) in this very life:
- If there is a next world and the fruits of good and bad kamma exist there, then by reasons of good deeds one may be reborn in a good destination (sugati — a heavenly realm); this is one reassurance.
- If there is no next world and the fruits of deeds do not exist beyond this life, then one who practices non-hatred, non-greed, etc., will be free from enmity and distress and will enjoy peace and welfare in this present life; this is the second reassurance.
- If deeds produce suffering only for those who do them, then if a person has not done evil deeds, suffering will not afflict that person; this is the third reassurance.
- If deeds do not have effect in any way, still one who has examined and seen for oneself will know oneself to be pure; this is the fourth reassurance.
Thus an ariya-sāvaka is free from hostility, free from oppression, not dejected, purified — and enjoys the four kinds of assurance in this very life.
When the Blessed One had finished his Dhamma talk, the Kālāmas answered: “This is indeed so,” they praised the Dhamma and declared themselves lay followers (upāsaka — male lay follower). They said: “Your discourse, O Blessed One, is exceedingly beautiful.” The Blessed One had set forth many reasons and ways whereby they might use their own understanding to see what ought to be practiced, likening it to turning something that was upside down so that it is righted, or uncovering something hidden so that it is made visible, or pointing out a way to one who is lost, or placing a lamp in a dark place so that one with eyes may see forms. Thus they declared their confidence and took refuge in the Blessed One, in the Dhamma, and in the Saṅgha (the Triple Gem — Buddha, Dhamma, Saṅgha), asking to be remembered by the Blessed One as lay followers from that day onward.
Thus ends the Kālāma Sutta (sutta no. 505).
Short Pāli glossary (intensive, key terms used above)
- Buddha (Gotama / Gotama Buddha) — the Awakened One, the Enlightened Teacher.
- saṅgha (saṅgha) — community of ordained monastics (here: bhikkhus).
- Kesaputta (Kesaputta) — the Kesaputta settlement; home of the Kālāma clan.
- kilesa (kilesa) — defilements (greed, hatred, delusion).
- anussava (anussava) — accepting on the basis of hearsay / repeated report.
- piṭaka (piṭaka) — scriptures / canonical texts (authority of books).
- takka / tarka (takka, tarka) — logical inference / speculative reasoning.
- lobha (lobha) — greed / covetousness.
- dosa (dosa) — hatred / aversion / ill will.
- moha (moha) — delusion / ignorance.
- alobha (alobha) — absence of greed; non-covetousness; generosity in mind.
- adosa (adosa) / adosa — absence of hatred; goodwill.
- amoha (amoha) — absence of delusion; clarity, wise understanding.
- akusala / kusala — unwholesome / wholesome (ethical quality of actions).
- ariyasāvaka (ariyasāvaka) — noble disciple; follower who practices the noble Dhamma.
- mettā, karuṇā, muditā, upekkhā — the four brahmavihāras: loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, equanimity.
- sugati (sugati) — good destination; heavenly rebirth.
- upāsaka / upāsikā — lay follower (male/female).