Buddha's message to those who doubt (audio)

Wisdom Quarterly based on Ven. Soma Thera translation, Kalama Sutta (AN 3.65)

(DhammaCity) Kalama Sutra, readings from the Pali Canon by Sangharakshita.

Message to the Kalamas

1. Thus have I heard. Once the Buddha, while wandering in the country with a large community of monastic disciples, entered a town called Kesaputta. The Kalamas inhabiting Kesaputta said:

• "Reverend Gautama, the monk, the son of the Sakyans, while wandering in the Kosala country, has entered Kesaputta. This good repute has spread about him: 'Indeed, the Blessed One is consummate, fully enlightened, endowed with knowledge and practice, sublime, knower of the worlds, peerless, guide for those to be tamed, teacher of divine and human beings, which he himself has gained through direct knowledge.

The Buddha with a large number of monastics addresses the people of Kesaputta, India.

• He sets forth the Dharma, which good in the beginning, good in the middle, good in the end, possessed of meaning in letter and spirit, and complete in everything. And he proclaims the high life [direct path to enlightenment, brahmacarya] that is perfectly pure. Seeing such consummate ones is good indeed.'"

Asking for Guidance

3. The Kalamas in Kesaputta sitting respectfully to one side said to the Buddha:

"There are some ascetics 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 ascetics and brahmins, venerable sir, come to Kesaputta. They 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 ascetics and brahmins spoke the truth and which falsehood?"

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 scripture
• nor upon surmise
• nor upon axiom
• nor upon specious reasoning
• nor upon bias toward a notion that has been pondered
  
• nor upon another's seeming ability
• nor upon the consideration, 'The ascetic is our teacher.'

"But, Kalamas, when you yourselves know":

• 'These things are bad these things are blameworthy
• these things are censured by the wise
• when 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 person for one's benefit or harm?"

"For harm, venerable sir."

"Kalamas, being given to greed, and being overwhelmed and mentally vanquished by greed, this person takes life, steals, engages in sexual misconduct, tells lies, and prompts another to do likewise. Will that be long for harm and ill?"

"Yes, venerable sir."

6. "What do you think, Kalamas? Does hate appear...?"

7. "What do you think, Kalamas? Does delusion appear...?"

8. "What do you think, Kalamas? Are these things profitable or unprofitable?"

"Unprofitable, venerable sir."

"Blameworthy or not blameworthy?"

"Blameworthy, venerable sir."

"Censured or praised by the wise?"

"Censured, venerable sir."

"When undertaken and observed, do these things lead to harm and ill or not? Or how does it strike you?"

"When undertaken and observed, these things lead to harm and ill. Thus it strikes us here."

9. "Therefore, Kalamas, was it said: 'Come Kalamas. Do not go upon what has been acquired by repeated hearing, nor upon tradition, nor upon rumor... But when you yourselves know: 'These things are unprofitable; these things are blameworthy; these things are censured by the wise; when undertaken and observed, these things lead to harm and ill," abandon them.'

(Rainbowschaos/Flickr)

Criterion for Acceptance
10. "Come, Kalamas. Do not go upon what has been acquired by repeated hearing, nor upon tradition, nor upon rumor... But, Kalamas, when you yourselves know: 'These things are profitable; these things are praiseworthy; these things are lauded by the wise; when 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 the absence of greed appear in a person for benefit or harm?"

"For benefit, venerable sir."

"Kalamas, not being given to greed, and not being overwhelmed or mentally vanquished by greed, one does not take life, does not steal, does not engage in sexual misconduct, does not tell lies, and does not prompt others to do likewise. Will that be long for one's benefit and happiness?"

"Yes, venerable sir."

12. "What do you think, Kalamas? Does the absence of hate appear in a person for benefit or harm?"

"For benefit, venerable sir."...

13. "What do you think, Kalamas? Does the absence of delusion appear in a man for his benefit or harm?"...

14. "What do you think, Kalamas? Are these things profitable or unprofitable?"

"Profitable, venerable sir."...

15. "Therefore, Kalamas, was it said: 'Come Kalamas. Do not go upon what has been acquired by repeated hearing, nor upon tradition, nor upon rumor...' But, Kalamas, when you yourselves know: 'These things are profitable; these things are not praiseworthy; these things are lauded by the wise; when undertaken and observed, these things lead to benefit and happiness," enter on and abide in them.'

The Four Divine Abidings
16. "Kalamas, the disciple of the Noble Ones practices in this way [the four Brahma Viharas or Exalted Dwellings]. Devoid of coveting (greed), devoid of ill will (hate), devoid of confusion (delusion) -- but mindful and clearly comprehending -- dwells pervading with thoughts of loving-kindness

• one quarter [of the world, the cosmos]
• likewise the second
• likewise the third
• likewise the fourth
• so above, below, and across
• one dwells having pervaded all living beings everywhere in the entire world (cosmos) with thoughts of loving-kindness that is free of hate or malice, grown great, exalted, immeasurable (boundless, universal).

"One dwells having pervaded with thoughts of compassion, one quarter, likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth, so above, below, and across; one dwells having pervaded all living beings everywhere in the entire world with thoughts of compassion that is free of hate or malice, grown great, exalted, immeasurable.

"One lives having pervaded with thoughts of gladness, one quarter....

"One lives having pervaded with thoughts of equanimity, one quarter....

The Four Solaces
17. "Kalamas, the disciple of the Noble Ones practices in this way. With such a hate-free mind, such a malice-free mind, such an undefiled mind, such a purified mind is one who finds four solaces here and now.

"'Suppose there is a hereafter [existence to come beyond this life] and there is a fruit, result, of deeds done well or ill [karma]. Then it is possible that at the dissolution of the body after death, I shall arise in better worlds, which are possessed of states of bliss.' This is the first solace found by such a person.

"'Suppose there is no hereafter [no rebirth] and there is no fruit, no result, of deeds done well or ill [no karma]. Yet in this world, here and now, free from hatred, free from malice, safe, sound, and happy, I keep myself.' This is the second solace.

"'Suppose harmful (results) befall the doer of harm. I, however, think of doing no harm to anyone. Then, how can ill (results) affect me?' This is the third solace.

"'Suppose harmful (results) do not befall one who harms others. Then I see myself purified in any case.' This is the fourth solace.

"Kalamas, the disciple of the Noble Ones who has such a hate-free mind, such a malice-free mind, such an undefiled mind, such a purified mind is one who finds, here and now, these four solaces."

The Kalamas' Reaction
"So it is, Blessed One! So it is, Sublime One! Venerable sir, the disciple of the Noble Ones who has such a hate-free mind, such a malice-free mind, such an undefiled mind, such a purified mind finds, here and now, these four solaces!

"Marvelous, venerable sir! Marvelous, venerable sir! Venerable sir, it is as if a person were to turn upward what had been overturned, or to uncover what was concealed, or to point the way to one who was lost, or to carry a lamp into the darkness, thinking: 'Those who have eyes will now be able to see.'

"So has the Dharma been set forth in many ways by the Blessed One. Venerable sir, we go to the Blessed One for guidance, to this Dharma for guidance, and to the Sangha [order of accomplished practitioners] for guidance.

"Venerable sir, may the Blessed One regard us as lay followers who have gone for guidance from this day forward."

• A Look at the Kalama Sutta (Bhikkhu Bodhi)
• The Right to Ask Questions (Larry Rosenberg)

Dragon's Breath: Right Speech

Zensquared (BeZen.wordpress.com, 8-31-11, edited for clarity by Wisdom Quarterly)

Breathe. Follow your breath. The practice is easy (bezen.wordpress.com).

Watch what you say. Sounds so simple, doesn’t it?

After right view and right intention, which concern wisdom, the next three factors in the Noble Eightfold Path are right speech, right action, and right livelihood -- all of which concern moral discipline.

In his text about the Noble Eightfold Path, [American Buddhist scholar-monk] Bhikkhu Bodhi points out that this “morality” is not so much “Thou shalt not...” as it is a mental purification we undertake.

Instead of uttering harmful words, we should keep [nobly] silent. When we speak, we speak to help others. We speak to spread happiness. We speak to comfort. We speak kindly.

Buddhism, with its nontheistic framework, grounds its ethics not on the notion of obedience, but on that of harmony.

Being mindful about the words we say becomes a practice that benefits others -- as well as keeping one out of trouble.

Bhikkhu Bodhi further points out that right speech has two sides -- avoidance and performance. So while we work to avoid false speech, at the same time we are also working to perform correct speech.

What is “correct”? Here Bhikkhu Bodhi uses the familiar English word wholesome. The Buddhist use of this word steers clear of a moral judgment in favor of emphasizing something that is healthy, not sick.

When the opposite word is used -- unwholesome -- it refers to something that will make us ill. Buddhism [recognizes many gradients exactly in accord with the heart's intention, but it often sounds] somewhat [like a] black-and-white view of good and ill: If it’s going to harm anyone, it’s probably unwholesome. And that’s sick.

The Buddha divides right speech into four components, abstaining from: false speech, slanderous [divisive] speech, harsh speech, and idle [useless] chatter.

No lying. No dividing. No cruel words. No mindless gossip. That sounds like “Thou shalt not,” doesn’t it? No, says Bhikkhu Bodhi.

He quotes the Numerical Discourses of the Buddha, stating that it’s really about being honest, being devoted to the truth, being reliable, and being worthy of confidence.

The determinative factor behind the transgression is the intention to deceive. If one speaks something false believing it to be true, there is no breach of the precept as the intention to deceive is absent. Though the deceptive intention is common to all cases of false speech, lies can appear in different guises depending on the motivating root, be it greed, hatred, or delusion.

The venerable monk goes on to explain how lies corrupt and injure the liar, and how

the commitment to truth has a significance transcending the domain of ethics and even mental purification, taking us to the domains of knowledge and being. More

The Path to Freedom (explained)

Wisdom Quarterly based on original translation by Bhikkhu Bodhi (SN 45:8; V 8-10)

“Disciples, I will teach you the Noble Eightfold Path and analyze it for you. Listen and attend closely as I speak.” “Yes, venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha then said:

“And what, disciples, is the Noble Eightfold Path? Right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.

I. “What is right view? Knowledge of disappointment, knowledge of its origin, knowledge of its cessation, knowledge of the path leading to its cessation. This is right view.

II. “What is right intention? Intentions of renunciation, non-ill will, and harmlessness [These are antidotes for two of the Three Poisons, namely, greed, hatred, and delusion. The instant antidote to delusion is mindfulness, which does not involve thinking, judging, or evaluating but unelaborated awareness]: This is called right intention.

III. “What is right speech? Abstaining from false speech* [bearing false witness, perjury, bias favoritism], abstaining from malicious speech, abstaining from harsh speech, abstaining from useless speech. This is called right speech.

IV. “What is right action? Abstaining from the depriving beings of life, abstaining from taking what is not given, abstaining from sexual-misconduct**: This is called right action.

V. “What is right livelihood? Here a noble disciple, having abandoned a wrong mode of livelihood, earns a living by some honest means. [At a minimum this involves abstaining from five kinds of business: trade in weapons, human trafficking, butchering or transporting animals for slaughter, drugs, or poisons. It also means avoiding any profit making activity that means breaking any of the Five Precepts.] This is called right livelihood.

VI. “What is right effort? Here [in this Dharma] one generates zeal for the non-arising of unarisen unwholesome states; one makes effort, rouses energy, applies mind/heart, and strives. One generates zeal for abandoning unwholesome states that have arisen....generates zeal for the arising of wholesome states that have not yet arisen.... One generates zeal for the continuation of arisen wholesome states, for their non-decline, increase, expansion, and fulfillment by development. One makes an effort, rouses energy, applies mind/heart, and strives. This is called right effort.

VII. “What is right mindfulness? Here, one dwells examining [not "thinking" about or evaluating] the body in the body, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed longing and dejection with regard to the world. One dwells examining sensations in sensations [pleasant, neutral, or unpleasant], ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed longing and dejection with regard to the world. One dwells examining mind in mind: clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed longing and dejection with regard to the world. One dwells contemplating phenomena in phenomena [defined specifically in the discourse on setting up the Four Foundations of Mindfulness], ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed longing and dejection with regard to the world. This is called right mindfulness.

VIII. “What is right concentration [samadhi]? Here, secluded [withdrawn, aloof, apart] from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states of mind, a meditator enters into and dwells in the first absorption, which is accompanied by applied and sustained attention, with rapture and happiness born of seclusion [turning the mind/heart inward]. With the subsiding of applied and sustained attention, one enters and dwells in the second absorption, which has internal confidence and unification of mind, is without [the continuous effort of] applied and sustained attention, and has rapture born of concentration. With the fading away as well of rapture, one dwells equanimous and, mindful and clearly comprehending, one experiences happiness with the body; one enters and dwells in the third absorption of which the Noble Ones [those who have achieved any of the stages of enlightenment] declare: ‘One is equanimous who dwells happily.’ With the abandoning of pleasure and pain, and with the previous passing away of joy and dejection, one enters and dwells in the fourth absorption, which is neither painful nor pleasant and includes the purification of mindfulness by equanimity. This is called right concentration” (SN 45:8; V 8-10).

*FALSE SPEECH: When summoned to a court, meeting, or by relatives, a guild, rulers [administrators] and questioned as a witness in this way: "Tell what you know," then not knowing one says, "I know," or knowing one says, "I do not know," not having seen one says, "I saw," or having seen one says, "I did not see"; in full awareness one speaks falsehoods for one's own gain, for another's gain, or for some trivial material end). The same applies to encouraging others to lie (Numerical Discourses, Tens, sutra 206 or AN X.206).

**SEXUAL MISCONDUCT: "Sexual intercourse with those protected by mother, father, parents, brother, sister, relatives, spouse, the law, or with those engaged, or promised in youth. The same applies to encouraging others to engage in misconduct" (AN X.206).

• Yoga's "Eightfold Path" to union with the universe borrowing from the Buddha