Kalama Sutta

[Samuraidinesh]

The blessed One was wandering by stages in the Kosala country with a large number of bhikkhus. He arrived at a town belonging to the Kalamans call Kesaputta.

When the Kesaputtians heard that the Blessed One had arrived, they went to Him and they asked Him: “Lord, some monks and brahmans come to Kesaputta, and they expound only their own tenets while they abuse and rend and censure and rail at the tenets of others. And other monks and brahmans come to Kesaputta, and they too expound only their own tenets while they abuse and rend and censure and rail at the tenets of others.

We are puzzled and in doubt about them, Lord. Which of these reverend monks has spoken truly and which falsely?”

“You may well be puzzeld, Kalamans. You may well be in doubt. For your doubt has arisen precisely about what ought to be doubted. Come, Kalamans, do not be satisfied with hearsay or with tradition or with legendary lore or with what has come down in your scriptures or with conjecture or with logical inference or with weighing evidence or with liking for a view after pondering over it or with someone else’s ability or with the thought “The monk is our teacher.’ When you know in yourselves: ‘These ideas are unwholesome, liable to censure, condemned by the wise, being adopted and put into effect they lead to harm and suffering,’ then you should abandon them.

How do you conceive this, Kalamans: when lust arises in a person, is it for good or evil?” - “For evil, Lord.” - “Now it is when a person is lustful and he is overcome by lust, with his mind obsessed by lust, that he kills breathing things, takes what is not given, commits adultery, speaks falsehood, and gets others to do likewise, which will belong for his harm and suffering.” - Even so, Lord.” “How do you conceive this, Kalamans, when hate arises in a person....? When delusion arises in a person....?” - Even so, Lord.” - “How do you conceive this, Kalamans: are these things wholesome or unwholesome?” - “Unwholesome, Lord.” - “Censurable or blameless?” - “Censurable, Lord.” - “Condemned or commended by the wise?” - “Condemned by the wise, Lord.” - “Being adopted and put into effect, do they lead to harm and suffering, or do they not, or how does it appear to you in this case?” - “Being adopted and put into effect, Lord, they lead to harm and suffering. So it appears to us in this case.” - “So, Kalamans, those are the reasons why I told you: “Come, Kalamans, do not be satisfied with hearsay.... or with the thought “The monk is our teacher.” When you know in yourselves: “These things are unwholesome....” then you should abandon them.’

“Come, Kalamans, do not be satisfied with hearsay.... or with the thought ‘The monk is our teacher.’ When you know in yourselves: “These things are wholesome, blameless, commended by the wise, being adopted and put into effect they lead to welfare and happiness,’ then you should practise them and abide in them.

How do you conceive this, Kalamans: when non-lust arises in a person, is it for good or evil?” - “For good, Lord.” - “Now it is when a person is not lustful and he is not overcome by lust, and his mind is not obsessed by lust, that he does not kill breathing things, or take what is not given, or commit adultery, or speak falsehood, and gets others to do likewise, which will belong for his welfare and happiness.” - “Even so, Lord.” - “How do you conceive this, Kalamans: when non hate arises in a person....? When non-delusion arises in a person ......?” - “Even so, Lord.” - “How do you conceive this, Kalamans: are these things wholesome or unwholesome?” - “Wholesome, Lord.” - “Censurable or blameless?” - “Blameless, Lord.” - “Condemned or commended by the wise?” - “Commended by the wise, Lord.” - “Being adopted and put into effect, do they lead to welfare and happiness, or do they not, or how does it appear to you in this case?” - “Being adopted and put into effect, Lord, they lead to welfare and happiness, so it appears to us in this case.” - “So, Kalamans, those are the reasons why I told you: ‘Come, Kalamans, do not be satisfied with hearsay...... or with the thought “The monk is our teacher.” When you know in yourselves:” “These things are wholesome......” then you should practise them and abide in them.’

“Now when a noble disciple is in this way free from covetousness, free from ill will, and undeluded, then, fully aware and mindful, he abides with a heart endued with loving-kindness extending to one quarter, likewise to the second quarter, likewise to the third quarter, likewise to the fourth quarter; so above, below, around, and everywhere, and to all as to himself; he abides with a heart endued with abundant, exalted, measureless loving-kindness, unhostile and unafflicted by ill will, extending to the entire world. He abides with a heart endued with compassion... He abides with a heart endued with gladness... He abides with a heart endued with equanimity ... extending to the entire world.

“With his heart this unhostile and unafflicted by ill will, thus undefiled and unified, a noble disciple here and now acquires these four comforts.

He thinks: ‘If there is another world and there is fruit and ripening of actions well done and ill done, then it is possible that on the dissolution of the body, after death, I might be reborn in a heavenly world.’ This is the first comfort acquired.

‘But if there is no other world and there is no fruit and ripening of actions well done and ill done, then here and now in this life I shall be free from hostility, affliction and anxiety, and I shall live happily.’ This is the second comfort acquired.

‘If evil befalls one who does evil, then since I have no evil thought of anyone, how shall evil deeds bring suffering to me, doing no evil?’ This is the third comfort acquired. ‘But if no evil befalls one who does evil, then I know myself to be pure in this life on both these counts.’ This is the fourth comfort acquired.”

Source: Internet

[Wildrose]

It's really nice reading this article..tks for sharing with us
 

[Danga_Malla]