We are in a great swirling spiritual fair. Amid lots of claims on whose belief (religion) is right and whose wrong and many of us, necessarily and naturally, get lost and confused (Rosenberg, 2003). Then, what is true? What is the test of truth? How can we know it?
A simple, (but very scientific) formula was offered more than 2,500 years ago, through “Kalama Sutta”: Testing things in terms of cause and effect (Rosenberg, 2003).
The Kalama Sutta is justly famous for its encouragement of free inquiry; it signifies a teaching that is exempt from fanaticism, bigotry, dogmatism, and intolerance. It welcomes careful examination at all stages of the path to enlightenment. It actively rejects the bad, but adopts the good way. It clarifies the basis of knowledge of conditionality and arhatship. Its methods of examination are to know things as they are and its tenor are implied in all straight thinking. As penetration and comprehension, its constituents of wisdom, the place of critical examination and analysis in the development of right vision are obvious (Thera, 1981)
The Kalama Sutta arrives to us to rescue us from the oceans of confusion and perplexity because of people in Kalama who were religious seekers themselves, and, very much like us, also confused, perplexed and bewildered by the plethora of divergent philosophies and teachers vying for their attention.
When the Buddha, in his wanderings, came upon the village of the Kalamas, they went to the Buddha to hear his perspective. They proceeded to ask the Buddha a series of questions.
So the Kalamas of Kesaputta approached the Buddha. On arrival, some of them bowed down to him and sat to one side. Some of them exchanged courteous greetings with him and sat to one side. Some, raising their joined palms, sat down to one side. Some, announcing their name and clan, sat to one side. Some of them sat to one side in silence. As they were sitting there, they said to the Buddha:
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| The Kesariya Stupa is believed to be at the place where the Buddha delivered the discourse |
"Lord, some teachers come to Kesaputta, expounding and glorifying their own doctrines. But as for the doctrine of others, they abuse them, disparage them, deprecate them, and pull them to pieces. Other teachers, on coming to Kesaputta, do the same thing. When we listen to them, we feel doubt and uncertainty as to which of these teachers are speaking truth and which are lying."[1]
The Buddha answered:
"Yes, Kalamas, it is proper that you have doubt, that you have perplexity, for a doubt has arisen in a matter which is doubtful.
Now, look you Kalamas, do not be led by reports, or tradition, or hearsay.
Be not led by the authority of religious texts, not by mere logic or inference, nor by considering appearances, nor by the delight in speculative opinions, nor by seeming possibilities, nor by the idea: 'this is our teacher'.
But O Kalamas, when you know for yourselves that certain things are unwholesome (akusala), and wrong, and bad, then give them up...And when you know for yourselves that certain things are wholesome (kusala) and good, then accept them and follow them."[2]
Ten sources which knowledge we should not simply view as truth without further investigation
1. Oral history
2. Traditional
3. News sources
4. Scriptures or other official texts
5. Suppositional reasoning
6. Philosophical dogmatism
7. Common sense
8. One's own opinions
9. Experts
10. Authorities or one's own teacher
References
Rosenberg, Larry (2003) The Right to Ask Questions. Retrieved April 20, 2012, from http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/rosenberg/righttoask.html
Thera, Soma (1981) Translator’s note on Kalama Sutta: The Buddha’s Charter of Free Inquiry. (Translated from the Pali by Soma Thera). Retrieved April 20, 2012, from http://www.sobhana.net/meditation/english/reading/med003.pdf
Verhoeven, Martin J. (2001) Buddhism and Science: Probing the Boundaries of Faith and Reason. In Religion East and West, Issue 1, June 2001, pp. 77-97. Retrieved April 20, 2012, from http://online.sfsu.edu/~rone/Buddhism/VerhoevenBuddhismScience.htm
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