The Sakya’s peptalk to the Kálámas
as to which Guru to trust
I heard thus. Once the Blessed One, while
wandering in the Kosala country with a large community of bhikkhus, entered a
town of the Káláma people called Kesaputta. The Kálámas who were inhabitants of Kesaputta: “Venerable Gotama, the monk, the son of the Sakyans, has, while wandering in the Kosala country,
entered Kesaputta. The good repute of the Venerable
Gotama has been spread in this way: Indeed, the Exalted 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.” Then the Kálámas who were inhabitants of
Kesaputta went to where the Exalted 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 Kálámas 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 and uncertainty in
us concerning them. Which of these reverend monks and brahmins spoke the
truth and which falsehood?” “It is proper for you, Kálámas, to doubt, to be
uncertain; uncertainty has arisen in you about what is doubtful. Come,
Kálámas. 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.’ Kálámas, 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.” “Come, Kálámas. 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.’ Kálámas, 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.” |