Thus have I heard readings from the sutras of the Buddha.
The following is a reading from the Anguttara Nikaya to the Kamalas.
Thus have I heard.
On one occasion the Blessed One was wandering on tour together with a large sangha of monks,
When he arrived at a town of the Kamalas named Kesaputta.
Now the Kamalas of Kesaputta heard.
It is said that the aesthetic Atama,
The Sakyan son who went forth from a Sakyan family,
Has arrived at Kesaputta.
Now a good report about that Master Atama has been circulating thus.
That Blessed One is an arahant,
Fully enlightened,
Accomplished in true knowledge and conduct,
Sublime,
Knower of the world,
Unsurpassed leader of persons to be tamed,
Teacher of devas and humans,
The Enlightened One,
The Blessed One.
He makes known this world with its devas,
With mara,
With brahma,
This generation with its aesthetics and brahmans,
With its devas and humans,
Having realized it through his own direct knowledge.
He teaches Atama that is good in the beginning,
Good in the middle,
And good in the end.
With the right meaning and expression,
He reveals a holy life that is perfectly complete and purified.
Now it is good to see arahants such as this.
Then the Kamalas of Kesaputta approached the Blessed One.
Some paid homage to him and sat down to one side,
Some exchanged greetings with him,
And after their greetings and cordial talk,
Sat down to one side.
Some saluted him reverentially and sat down to one side,
Some remained silent and sat down to one side.
And then the Kamalas said to the Blessed One,
There are,
Lord,
Some aesthetics and brahmans who come here.
They explain and elucidate their own doctrines,
But disparage,
Debunk,
Revile,
And vilify the doctrines of others.
But then some other aesthetics and brahmans come to Kesaputta,
And they too explain and elucidate their own doctrines,
But disparage,
Debunk,
Revile,
And vilify the doctrines of others.
For us,
Lord,
There is perplexity and doubt as to which of these good aesthetics speak truth and which speak falsehood.
It is fitting for you to be perplexed,
Kalamas.
It is fitting for you to be in doubt.
Doubt has arisen in you about a perplexing matter.
Come Kalamas,
Do not go by oral tradition,
By lineage of teaching,
By hearsay,
By a collection of scriptures,
By logical reasoning,
By inferential reasoning,
By reflection on reasons,
By the acceptance of a view after pondering it,
By the seeming competence of a speaker,
Or because you think the aesthetic is our teacher.
But when you know for yourselves these things are unwholesome,
These things are blamable,
These things are censured by the wise,
These things if undertaken and practiced lead to harm and suffering,
Then you should abandon them.
What do you think,
Kalamas?
When greed,
Hatred,
And delusion arise in a person,
Is it for his welfare or harm?
For his harm,
Lord?
Kalamas,
A person who is greedy,
Hating,
And deluded,
Overpowered by greed,
Hatred,
And delusion,
His thoughts controlled by them,
Will destroy life,
Take what is not given,
Engage in sexual misconduct,
And tell lies.
He will also prompt others to do the same.
Will that conduce to his harm and suffering for a long time?
Yes,
Lord.
And what do you think,
Kalamas?
Are these things wholesome or unwholesome?
Unwholesome,
Lord.
Blamable or blameless?
Blamable,
Lord.
Censured or praised by the wise?
Censured,
Lord.
Undertaken and practiced,
Do they lead to harm and suffering or not?
Or how is it in this case?
Undertaken and practiced,
These things lead to harm and suffering.
So it appears to us,
In this case.
It was for this reason,
Kalamas,
That we said,
Do not go by oral tradition,
By lineage of teaching,
By hearsay,
By a collection of scriptures,
By logical reasoning,
By inferential reasoning,
By reflection on reasons,
By the acceptance of a view after pondering it,
By the seeming competence of a speaker,
Or because you think the aesthetic is our teacher.
But when you know for yourselves these things are wholesome,
These things are blameless,
These things are praised by the wise,
These things,
If undertaken and practiced,
Lead to welfare and happiness,
Then you should engage in them.
What do you think,
Kalamas?
When non-greed,
Non-hatred,
And non-delusion arise in a person,
Is it for his welfare or harm?
For his welfare,
Lord.
Kalamas,
A person who is without greed,
Without hatred,
Without delusion,
Not overpowered by greed,
Hatred,
And delusion,
His thoughts not controlled by them,
Will abstain from the destruction of life,
From taking what is not given,
From sexual misconduct,
And from false speech.
He will also prompt others to do likewise.
Will that conduce to his welfare and happiness for a long time?
Yes,
Lord.
What do you think,
Kalamas?
Are these things wholesome or unwholesome?
Wholesome Lord,
Blamable or blameless,
Blameless Lord,
Censured or practiced by the wise,
Praised or ignored,
Undertaken and practiced,
Do they lead to welfare and happiness or not?
Or how is it in this case?
Undertaken and practiced,
These things lead to welfare and happiness,
So it appears to us in this case.
Then Kalamas,
That noble disciple,
Devoid of covetousness,
Devoid of ill-will,
Unconfused,
Clearly comprehending,
Ever mindful,
Dwells pervading one quarter with a mind imbued with loving-kindness,
Likewise the second quarter,
The third,
And the fourth.
Thus above,
Below,
Across,
And everywhere,
And to all as to himself,
He dwells pervading the entire world with a mind imbued with loving-kindness,
Vast,
Exalted,
Measureless,
Without hostility,
And without ill-will.
He dwells pervading one quarter with a mind imbued with compassion,
With altruistic joy,
With equanimity,
Likewise the second quarter,
The third,
And the fourth.
Thus above,
Below,
Across,
And everywhere,
And to all as to himself,
He dwells pervading the entire world with a mind imbued with equanimity,
Vast,
Exalted,
Measureless,
Without hostility,
And without ill-will.
When Kalamas,
This noble disciple,
Has thus made his mind free of enmity,
Free of ill-will,
Uncorrupted and pure,
He has won four assurances in this very life.
The first assurance he has won is this.
If there is another world,
And if good and bad deeds bear fruit and yield results,
It is possible that with the break-up of the body after death,
I shall arise in a good destination in a heavenly world.
The second assurance he has won is this.
If there is no other world,
And if good and bad deeds do not bear fruit and yield results,
Still right here in this very life,
I live happily,
Free of enmity and ill-will.
The third assurance he has won is this.
Suppose evil befalls the evildoer,
Then,
As I do not intend evil for any one,
How can suffering afflict me,
One who does no evil?
The fourth assurance he has won is this.
Suppose evil does not befall the evildoer,
Then right here I see myself purified in both respects.
When this noble disciple has made his mind free of enmity,
Free of ill-will,
Uncorrupted and pure,
He has won these four assurances in this very life.
Excellent Lord!
Let the Blessed One accept us as lay followers who have gone for refuge from today until life's end.
This was a reading of the sutta,
To the Kalamas,
From the Anguttara Nikaya translated by Bhikkhu Bodhi.
The music is from the album Good Hope by Dave Holland,
Zakir Hussain and Chris Potter.
