Hi everybody.
We were sitting today discussing the "think for yourself"-part. And i was astounded by an argument that went that it said in the kalama sutta that you should listen to others "wiser" than you and that you needed someone else to tell you what you should think (sort of...).
And lord and behold (and paint an X in the ceiling...) i was wrong.
"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.
Or was i?...
I don't believe that this line would shake everything down, would it?
But i can see some people using it to their advantage...
Oh, and by the way, i found that it can also be critized/praised/honored by the wise (and some who put it up lost that bit, i dont know why...). but the point is still there. you need someone else. or do you?
May the force be with you.
Tb
We were sitting today discussing the "think for yourself"-part. And i was astounded by an argument that went that it said in the kalama sutta that you should listen to others "wiser" than you and that you needed someone else to tell you what you should think (sort of...).
And lord and behold (and paint an X in the ceiling...) i was wrong.
"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.
Or was i?...
I don't believe that this line would shake everything down, would it?
But i can see some people using it to their advantage...
Oh, and by the way, i found that it can also be critized/praised/honored by the wise (and some who put it up lost that bit, i dont know why...). but the point is still there. you need someone else. or do you?
May the force be with you.
Tb