English
Then, indeed, the Blessed One, knowing Sarabha the wanderer to be silent, ashamed, with slumped shoulders, downcast, pondering, without a ready answer, said to those wanderers – "Whoever, wanderers, would say this to me – 'You, who claim to be a Perfectly Self-Awakened One, these d 'The Awakened One is not fully enlightened.' I would thoroughly question him there, I would thoroughly cross-examine him, I would thoroughly discuss with him. When he is thoroughly questioned by me, cross-examined by me, discussed with by me, it is impossible, it is not possible, that he would not fall into one of three positions: he will answer one thing with another, or he will divert the conversation, or he will show anger and ill-will and displeasure, or he will sit silent, abashed, with slumped shoulders, downcast, brooding, unable to respond, just like the wanderer Sarabha. "Whoever, O wanderers, would say to me thus: 'Though you claim to be one whose taints are destroyed, these taints of yours are not destroyed,' I would thoroughly question him there, I would thoroughly cross-examine him, I would thoroughly discuss with him. When he is thoroughly questioned by me, cross-examined by me, discussed with by me, it is impossible, it is not possible, that he would not fall into one of three positions: he will answer one thing with another, or he will divert the conversation, or he will show anger and ill-will and displeasure, or he will sit silent, abashed, with slumped shoulders, downcast, brooding, unable to respond, just like the wanderer Sarabha. "Whoever, O wanderers, would say to me thus: 'The Dhamma taught by you, for the sake of which it is taught, does not lead to the complete destruction of suffering for one who practices it,' I would thoroughly question him there, I would thoroughly cross-examine him, I would thoroughly discuss with him. When he is thoroughly questioned by me, cross-examined by me, discussed with by me, it is impossible, it is not possible, that he would not fall into one of three positions: he will answer one thing with another, or he will divert the conversation, or he will show anger and ill-will and displeasure, or he will sit silent, abashed, with slumped shoulders, downcast, brooding, unable to respond, should sit with his shoulders drooping, his head down, brooding, and without ready wit, just like Sarabha the wanderer.’’ Then the Blessed One, on the bank of the Sippini, in the wanderers' park, roared a lion's roar three times, and departed through the air. Then those wanderers, not long after the Blessed One had departed, surrounded Sarabha the wanderer and stung him with their words, as if with a verbal goad: "Just as, friend Sarabha, a decrepit jackal in a great forest, thinking 'I will roar a lion's roar,' roars only a jackal's howl, roars only a bherandaka's cry; even so, friend Sarabha, apart from the ascetic Gotama, thinking 'I will roar a lion's roar,' you roar only a jackal's howl, you roar only a bherandaka's cry. Just as, friend Sarabha, a water-crow, thinking 'I will crow a man's crow,' crows only a water-crow's crow; even so, friend Sarabha, apart from the ascetic Gotama, thinking 'I will crow a man's crow,' you crow only a water-crow's crow. Just as, friend Sarabha, a bull in an empty cowshed thinks it can bellow deeply; even so, friend Sarabha, apart from the ascetic Gotama, you think you can bellow deeply." Then those wanderers surrounded Sarabha the wanderer and stung him with their words, as if with a verbal goad. The Fourth. 5. The Kesamutti Sutta 66. Thus have I heard: At one time the Blessed One, while wandering in the Kosala country with a large community of bhikkhus, arrived at a market town of the Kalamas named Kesamutta. The Kalamas of Kesamutta heard: "Indeed, good sirs, the ascetic Gotama, a son of the Sakyas, who has gone forth from the Sakya clan, The Victorious One has arrived at Kesamutta. And concerning that venerable Gotama, such a good report has arisen – 'Indeed, that Blessed One is... it is good, indeed, to see such Arahants.' Then the Kālāmas of Kesamutta approached the Blessed One; having approached, some greeted the Blessed One and sat down to one side, some exchanged courteous and memorable talk with the Blessed One and sat down to one side, some, towards the Blessed One, clasped their hands in salutation and sat down to one side, some announced their name and clan and sat down to one side, some remained silent and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, those Kālāmas of Kesamutta said this to the Blessed One – "There are, venerable sir, some recluses and brahmins who come to Kesamutta. They expound and illuminate only their own doctrine, and they revile, disparage, scorn, and make light of the doctrines of others. And there are, venerable sir, other recluses and brahmins who come to Kesamutta. They too expound and illuminate only their own doctrine, and they revile, disparage, scorn, and make light of the doctrines of others. For us, venerable sir, there is always doubt, perplexity – 'Who among these venerable recluses and brahmins speaks the truth, and who speaks falsehood?'" "It is proper for you, Kālāmas, to doubt, to be perplexed. Perplexity has arisen in a situation where perplexity is due." "Come, Kālāmas, do not go by oral tradition, nor by lineage of teaching, nor by hearsay, nor by collection of scriptures, nor by logical reasoning, nor by inferential reasoning, nor by reflection on appearances, nor by the acceptance of a view after pondering it, nor by the seeming competence of a speaker, nor by the thought 'The recluse is our teacher.' But when you, Kālāmas, know for yourselves – 'These things are unwholesome, these things are blameworthy, these things are censured by the wise, these things, when undertaken and practiced, lead to harm and suffering’— then, Kālāmas, you should abandon them. “What do you think, Kālāmas? When greed arises within a person, does it arise for their good or for their harm?” “For their harm, venerable sir.” “This person, Kālāmas, overcome by greed, with mind obsessed, takes life, takes what is not given, goes to another’s wife, speaks falsehood, and encourages others to do likewise, which is for their long-term harm and suffering.” “So it is, venerable sir.” “What do you think, Kālāmas? When hatred arises within a person, does it arise for their good or for their harm?” “For their harm, venerable sir.” “This person, Kālāmas, overcome by hatred, with mind obsessed, takes life, takes what is not given, goes to another’s wife, speaks falsehood, and encourages others to do likewise, which is for their long-term harm and suffering.” “So it is, venerable sir.” “What do you think, Kālāmas? When delusion arises within a person, does it arise for their good or for their harm?” “For their harm, venerable sir.” “This person, Kālāmas, overcome by delusion, with mind obsessed, takes life, takes what is not given, goes to another’s wife, speaks falsehood, and encourages others to do likewise, which is for their long-term harm and suffering.” “So it is, venerable sir.” “What do you think, Kālāmas? Are these things wholesome or unwholesome?” “Unwholesome, venerable sir.” “Blameworthy or blameless?” “Blameworthy, venerable sir.” “Censured by the wise or praised by the wise?” “Censured by the wise, venerable sir.” “When undertaken and practiced, do they lead to harm and suffering?” , or not? How then does it seem to you here? "When undertaken, venerable sir, and fully adopted, they lead to harm and suffering. Thus it seems to us here." "So then, Kālāmas, that which we said— 'Come, Kālāmas! Do not go by hearsay, nor by tradition, nor by rumor, nor by scripture, nor by logical reasoning, nor by inference, nor by reflection on appearances, nor by the acceptance of a view after pondering it, nor by the seeming competence of a speaker, nor because 'the ascetic is our teacher.' When you yourselves, Kālāmas, know: 'These things are unwholesome, these things are blameworthy, these things are criticized by the wise, these things, when undertaken and fully adopted, lead to harm and suffering,' then, Kālāmas, you should abandon them.' That which was said, it was said with reference to this. "Come, Kālāmas! Do not go by hearsay, nor by tradition, nor by rumor, nor by scripture, nor by logical reasoning, nor by inference, nor by reflection on appearances, nor by the acceptance of a view after pondering it, nor by the seeming competence of a speaker, nor because 'the ascetic is our teacher.' When you yourselves, Kālāmas, know: 'These things are wholesome, these things are blameless, these things are praised by the wise, these things, when undertaken and fully adopted, lead to welfare and happiness,' then, Kālāmas, you should enter upon and abide in them. "What do you think, Kālāmas? When non-greed arises within a person, does it arise for welfare or for harm?" "For welfare, venerable sir." "And this person, Kālāmas, not overcome by greed, with a mind unpossessed, does not kill living beings, does not take what is not given, does not go to another's wife, does not speak falsehood, nor does he encourage others to do likewise, which is for his long-term welfare and happiness." "So it is, venerable sir." "What do you think, Kālāmas? When non-hatred arises within a person, does it arise...etc... When non-delusion arises within a person..." Conceit arises... ...and so forth... ...for welfare, for happiness. "So it is, venerable sir." "What do you think, Kālāmas, are these states wholesome or unwholesome?" "Wholesome, venerable sir." "Blameworthy or blameless?" "Blameless, venerable sir." "Censured by the wise or praised by the wise?" "Praised by the wise, venerable sir." "Undertaken and practiced, do they lead to welfare and happiness, or not? Or how is it in this case?" "Undertaken and practiced, venerable sir, they lead to welfare and happiness. So it is in this case for us."