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Reference: Exploring the Words of the Buddha

This is a summary of AN 3.65. Kalama Sutta: To the Kalamas (Kesaputtiya).

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AN 3:65 Summary

In this world, there are many experts, who explain and elucidate their own doctrines, but disparage, debunk, revile and vilify the doctrines of others. So, there is perplexity and doubt as to which of these experts speak truth and which speak falsehood.

It is natural in such a situation for perplexity and doubt to exist. The situation arises from anomalies in:

1. Oral traditions
2. Lineage of teaching
3. Hearsay
4. Collection of scriptures
5. Logical reasoning
6. Inferential reasoning
7. Reflection of reasons
8. Acceptance of a view after pondering it
9. The seeming competence of a speaker
10. Regarding the speaker as your teacher

Note: An anomaly is any violation of the integrity of reality, such as, discontinuity (missing data), inconsistency (contradictory data), or disharmony (arbitrary data). 

One should isolate the anomalies, and discover for oneself those things that are unwholesome. These things, if undertaken and practiced, lead to harm and suffering. Then one should abandon them. For example, Buddha himself had found that the practice of self-mortification lead to harm and suffering. Therefore, he abandoned it.

From our own direct experience we know that greed, hatred, and delusion are the three unwholesome roots, which underlie all immoral conduct and all defiled states of mind. Our aim should be the destruction of greed, hatred and delusion from within ourselves.

The practice of the following four “divine abidings” leads to wholesome conduct:

1. Loving-kindness: the wish for the welfare and happiness of all beings.
2. Compassion: empathy with those afflicted by suffering.
3. Altruistic joy: rejoicing in the success and good fortune of others.
4. Equanimity: an attitude of neutrality or impartiality towards beings.

Such a person has won the following four assurances in this very life:

1. One shall arise in a good destination, in a heavenly world after death, if there is another world.
2. If there is no other world, I shall live happily, free of enmity and ill will right here, in this very life.
3. Suppose evil befalls the evil-doer; then, as I do not intend evil for anyone, and do no evil deed, suffering cannot afflict me.
4. Suppose evil does not befall the evil-doer. Then right here I see myself purified in both respects.

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Reference: Exploring the Words of the Buddha

This is a summary of MN 12: The Greater Discourse on the Lion’s Roar (Mahasihanada Sutta)

The Buddha expounds the ten powers of a Tathagata, his four kinds of intrepidity, and other superior qualities, which entitle him to “roar his lion’s roar in the assemblies.”

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MN 12 Summary

(1 – 8) Buddha faced criticism by a person, who became dissatisfied and left the Order because the Buddha would not perform any miracles for him or explain to him the beginning of things. Buddha’s response was that this man was misguided and his words were spoken out of anger; and that he will never infer of Buddha according to Dhamma.

(9 – 21) Buddha then describes the powers of Tathagata. Tathagata has a mind cleared of all taints. Such a mind has far reaching abilities.

(22-28) Tathagata is certain that he is fully enlightened; he has destroyed all taints; he is fully aware of obstructions; his Dhamma when practiced would lead to complete destruction of suffering.

(29 – 31) Tathagata has direct experience of approaching, sitting and talking in hundreds of assemblies of all kinds without fear and timidity.

(32 – 34) Tathagata has direct knowledge of egg-born generation, womb-born generation, moisture-born generation, and spontaneous generation.

(35 – 43) Tatagatha understands the path and way leading to these five destinations: Hell, the animal realm, realm of ghosts, human beings, and gods, and also to Nibbana. Furthermore, he understands the behavior and the conduct that would lead a person to those destinations. 

(44 – 56) Tathagata has lived a holy life practicing extreme of asceticism, coarseness, scrupulousness and seclusion. Thus, he has gone through extremes of self-mortification, which was the prescribed practice for enlightenment by the brahmins. Yet, by such conduct, by such practice, by such performance of austerities, he did not attain any superhuman states, any distinction in knowledge and vision worthy of the noble ones.

(57 – 62) Buddha has already talked about the erroneous belief of self-mortification. Now he talks about other erroneous beliefs, such as, ‘Purification comes about through the round of rebirths, or through [some particular kind of] rebirth, or through [some particular] abode, or through sacrifice, or through fire-worship.’ Buddha could say from direct knowledge that none of these ideas were fruitful. There was also this belief that, in old age, a person lost the lucidity of his wisdom. Buddha didn’t find that to be true either. Buddha was eighty years old, but still very lucid in his wisdom.

(63 -64) The correct path for spiritual enlightenment is nibbana that Buddha achieved.

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