Buddha and the Kalamas
Created by ChatGPT-5.2, 2026-02-04
In this lesson, we'll take up the question at the end of the previous lesson: "How is a mind that is free from hostility, free from ill will, undefiled, and pure to be attained?" Let's begin with the answer that Buddha gave to some folks who were bewildered by what in these days we would call denominationalism, that is, other folks who insist that only their version of the truth is true:
the Kālāmas of Kesaputta said to the Blessed One,
“Lord, there are some contemplatives and brahmans
who come to Kesaputta.
They expound and glorify their own doctrines,
but as for the doctrines of others,
they deprecate them, disparage them,
show contempt for them, and pull them to pieces.
And then other contemplatives and brahmans
come to Kesaputta [and do the same].
They leave us absolutely uncertain and in doubt:
Which of these venerable
contemplatives and brahmans
are speaking the truth, and which ones are lying?”
In response, the Buddha offers a timeless guide for discernment. Rather than urging blind belief, he encourages direct knowledge rooted in ethical reflection and experiential insight. This teaching stands out for its emphasis on personal responsibility in the spiritual path, and is often cited as a charter for free inquiry:
Know for Yourself
Created by ChatGPT-5.2, 2026-02-04
Of course you are in doubt.
When there are reasons for doubt,
uncertainty is born.
So in this case, Kālāmas,
don’t go by reports, by legends,
by traditions, by scripture,
by logical conjecture,
by inference, by analogies,
by agreement through pondering views,
by probability, or by the thought,
'This contemplative is our teacher.'
When you know for yourselves that,
'These qualities are unskillful;
these qualities are blameworthy;
these qualities are criticized by the wise;
these qualities, when adopted and carried out,
lead to harm and to suffering'
— then you should abandon them.
When you know for yourselves that,
'These qualities are skillful;
these qualities are blameless;
these qualities are praised by the wise;
these qualities, when adopted and carried out,
lead to welfare and to happiness'
— then you should enter and remain in them."
Kalama Sutta: To the Kalamas (AN 3.66).
Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
It is clear from this advice that we are to abandon harmful patterns of thought and action, and replace them with helpful patterns. This raises two new questions: First, how can we "know for ourselves" what these patterns are? Second,how can we abandon the harmful ones, and adopt the helpful ones, for good?
In the next lesson, we'll explore how the Lam Rim can help us to answer these questions.