Looking for Buddhist text

October 4, 2012 2:25 PM

What's the text in which the Buddha tells his disciples to not believe something just because it's written in a book, but to search within the heart?
posted by Tom-B to Religion & Philosophy (3 answers total)

Many sites attribute this to the Buddha of the Dhammapada, but the source seems to trace back to a 1955 issue of Time Life which cites "an ancient text". (pg. 102) A paraphrase perhaps, or even invented out of whole cloth? Who knows, but I can't find it any number of translations of the Dhammapada.
posted by Lorin at 2:43 PM on October 4, 2012

Best answer: It's not the Dhammapadda; it's the Kalama Sutta. Both are part of the Sutta Pitaka, which is a collection of the Buddha's teachings, but they're from different sections (or nikayas). The text you're looking for, the Kalama Sutta, is from a section called the Anguttara Nikaya.
posted by infinitywaltz at 2:51 PM on October 4, 2012 [9 favorites]

Best answer: Here's an English translation with a preface. These are probably the interesting parts for you:

4. "It is proper for you, Kalamas, to doubt, to be uncertain; uncertainty has arisen in you about what is doubtful. Come, Kalamas. 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.' Kalamas, 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.

[...]

10. "Come, Kalamas. 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.' Kalamas, 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.

posted by desjardins at 3:51 PM on October 4, 2012 [4 favorites]