100. Better than a thousand useless
words is one useful word, hearing which one attains peace.
101. Better than a thousand useless
verses is one useful verse, hearing which one attains peace.
102. Better than reciting a hundred
meaningless verses is the reciting of one verse of Dhamma, hearing which one
attains peace.
103. Though one may conquer a thousand
times a thousand men in battle, yet he indeed is the noblest victor who conquers
himself.
104-105. Self-conquest is
far better then the conquest of others. Not even a god, an angel, Mara or Brahma
can turn into defeat the victory of a person who is self-subdued and ever
restrained in conduct. 12
106. Though month after month for a
hundred years one should offer sacrifices by the thousands, yet if only for a
moment one should worship those of perfected minds that honor is indeed better
than a century of sacrifice.
107. Though for a hundred years one
should tend the sacrificial fire in the forest, yet if only for a moment one
should worship those of perfected minds, that worship is indeed better than a
century of sacrifice.
108. Whatever gifts and oblations one
seeking merit might offer in this world for a whole year, all that is not worth
one fourth of the merit gained by revering the Upright Ones, which is truly
excellent.
109. To one ever eager to revere and
serve the elders, these four blessing accrue: long life and beauty, happiness
and power.
110. Better it is to live one day
virtuous and meditative than to live a hundred years immoral and uncontrolled.
111. Better it is to live one day wise
and meditative than to live a hundred years foolish and uncontrolled.
112. Better it is to live one day
strenuous and resolute than to live a hundred years sluggish and dissipated.
113. Better it is to live one day
seeing the rise and fall of things than to live as hundred years without ever
seeing the rise and fall of things.
114. Better it is to live one day
seeing the Deathless than to live a hundred years without ever seeing the
Deathless.
115. Better it is to live one day
seeing the Supreme Truth than to live a hundred years without ever seeing the
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/dhp/dhp.08.budd.html
Kalama Sutta
Kalama Sutta: The Buddha's Charter of Free Inquiry
Translated from the Pali by Ven. Soma Thera
The
Instruction to the Kalamas
The Kalamas of Kesaputta go to see the Buddha
1. I heard thus. Once the Blessed One, while wandering in the Kosala country
with a large community of bhikkhus, entered a town of the Kalama people called
Kesaputta. The Kalamas who were inhabitants of Kesaputta: "Reverend Gotama, the
monk, the son of the Sakiyans, has, while wandering in the Kosala country,
entered Kesaputta. The good repute of the Reverend Gotama has been spread in
this way: Indeed, the Blessed One is thus consummate, fully enlightened, endowed
with knowledge and practice, sublime, knower of the worlds, peerless, guide of
tamable men, teacher of divine and human beings, which he by himself has through
direct knowledge understood clearly. He set forth the Dhamma, good in the
beginning, good in the middle, good in the end, possessed of meaning and the
letter, and complete in everything; and he proclaims the holy life that is
perfectly pure. Seeing such consummate ones is good indeed."
2. Then the Kalamas who were inhabitants of Kesaputta went to where the Blessed
One was. On arriving there some paid homage to him and sat down on one side;
some exchanged greetings with him and after the ending of cordial memorable
talk, sat down on one side; some saluted him raising their joined palms and sat
down on one side; some announced their name and family and sat down on one side;
some without speaking, sat down on one side.
The Kalamas of Kesaputta ask for guidance from the Buddha
3. The Kalamas who were inhabitants of Kesaputta sitting on one side said to the
Blessed One: "There are some monks and brahmins, venerable sir, who visit
Kesaputta. They expound and explain only their own doctrines; the doctrines of
others they despise, revile, and pull to pieces. Some other monks and brahmins
too, venerable sir, come to Kesaputta. They also expound and explain only their
own doctrines; the doctrines of others they despise, revile, and pull to pieces.
Venerable sir, there is doubt, there is uncertainty in us concerning them. Which
of these reverend monks and brahmins spoke the truth and which falsehood?"
The criterion for rejection
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.
Greed, hate, and delusion
5. "What do you think, Kalamas? Does greed appear in a man for his benefit or
harm?" - "For his harm, venerable sir." - "Kalamas, being given to greed, and
being overwhelmed and vanquished mentally by greed, this man takes life, steals,
commits adultery, and tells lies; he prompts another too, to do likewise. Will
that be long for his harm and ill?" - "Yes, venerable sir."
6. "What do you think, Kalamas? Does hate appear in a man for his benefit or
harm?" - "For his harm, venerable sir." - "Kalamas, being given to hate, and
being overwhelmed and vanquished mentally by hate, this man takes life, steals,
commits adultery, and tells lies; he prompts another too, to do likewise. Will
that be long for his harm and ill?" - "Yes, venerable sir."
7. "What do you think, Kalamas? Does delusion appear in a man for his benefit or
harm?" - "For his harm, venerable sir." - "Kalamas, being given to delusion, and
being overwhelmed and vanquished mentally by delusion, this man takes life,
steals, commits adultery, and tells lies; he prompts another too, to do
likewise. Will that be long for his harm and ill?" - "Yes, venerable sir."
8. "What do you think, Kalamas? Are these things good or bad?" - "Bad, venerable
sir" - "Blamable or not blamable?" - "Blamable, venerable sir." - "Censured or
praised by the wise?" - "Censured, venerable sir." - "Undertaken and observed,
do these things lead to harm and ill, or not? Or how does it strike you?" -
"Undertaken and observed, these things lead to harm and ill. Thus it strikes us
here."
9. "Therefore, did we say, Kalamas, what was said thus, '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.'
The criterion for
acceptance
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.
Absence of greed, hate, and delusion
11, "What do you think, Kalamas? Does absence of greed appear in a man for his
benefit or harm?" - "For his benefit, venerable sir." - "Kalamas, being not
given to greed, and being not overwhelmed and not vanquished mentally by greed,
this man does not take life, does not steal, does not commitadultery, and does
not tell lies; he prompts another too, to do likewise. Will that be long for his
benefit and happiness?" - "Yes, venerable sir."
12. "What do you think, Kalamas? Does absence of hate appear in a man for his
benefit or harm?" - "For his benefit, venerable sir." - "Kalamas, being not
given to hate, and being not overwhelmed and not vanquished mentally by hate,
this man does not take life, does not steal, does not commit adultery, and does
not tell lies; he prompts another too, to do likewise. Will that be long for his
benefit and happiness?" - "Yes, venerable sir."
13. "What do you think, Kalamas? Does absence of delusion appear in a man for
his benefit or harm?" - "For his benefit, venerable sir." - "Kalamas, being not
given to delusion, and being not overwhelmed and not vanquished mentally by
delusion, this man does not take life, does not steal, does not commit adultery,
and does not tell lies; he prompts another too, to do likewise. Will that be
long for his benefit and happiness?" - "Yes, venerable sir."
14. "What do you think, Kalamas? Are these things good or bad?" - "Good,
venerable sir." - "Blamable or not blamable?" - "Not blamable, venerable sir." -
"Censured or praised by the wise?" - "Praised, venerable sir." - "Undertaken and
observed, do these things lead to benefit and happiness, or not? Or how does it
strike you?" - "Undertaken and observed, these things lead to benefit and
happiness. Thus it strikes us here."
15. "Therefore, did we say, Kalamas, what was said thus, '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.'
The Four Exalted Dwellings
16. "The disciple of the Noble Ones, Kalamas, who in this way is devoid of
coveting, devoid of ill will, undeluded, clearly comprehending and mindful,
dwells, having pervaded, with the thought of amity, one quarter; likewise the
second; likewise the third; likewise the fourth; so above, below, and across; he
dwells, having pervaded because of the existence in it of all living beings,
everywhere, the entire world, with the great, exalted, boundless thought of
amity that is free of hate or malice.
"He lives, having pervaded, with the thought of compassion, one quarter;
likewise the second; likewise the third; likewise the fourth; so above, below,
and across; he dwells, having pervaded because of the existence in it of all
living beings, everywhere, the entire world, with the great, exalted, boundless
thought of compassion that is free of hate or malice.
"He lives, having pervaded, with the thought of gladness, one quarter; likewise
the second; likewise the third; likewise the fourth; so above, below, and
across; he dwells, having pervaded because of the existence in it of all living
beings, everywhere, the entire world, with the great, exalted, boundless thought
of gladness that is free of hate or malice.
"He lives, having pervaded, with the thought of equanimity, one quarter;
likewise the second; likewise the third; likewise the fourth; so above, below,
and across; he dwells, having pervaded because of the existence in it of all
living beings, everywhere, the entire world, with the great, exalted, boundless
thought of equanimity that is free of hate or malice.
The Four Solaces
17. "The disciple of the Noble Ones, Kalamas, who has such a hate-free mind,
such a malice-free mind, such an undefiled mind, and such a purified mind, is
one by whom four solaces are found here and now.
"'Suppose there is a hereafter and there is a fruit, result, of deeds done well
or ill. Then it is possible that at the dissolution of the body after death, I
shall arise in the heavenly world, which is possessed of the state of bliss.'
This is the first solace found by him.
"'Suppose there is no hereafter and there is no fruit, no result, of deeds done
well or ill. Yet in this world, here and now, free from hatred, free from
malice, safe and sound, and happy, I keep myself.' This is the second solace
found by him.
"'Suppose evil (results) befall an evil-doer. I, however, think of doing evil to
no one. Then, how can ill (results) affect me who do no evil deed?' This is the
third solace found by him.
"'Suppose evil (results) do not befall an evil-doer. Then I see myself purified
in any case.' This is the fourth solace found by him.
"The disciple of the Noble Ones, Kalamas, who has such a hate-free mind, such a
malice-free mind, such an undefiled mind, and such a purified mind, is one by
whom, here and now, these four solaces are found."
"So it is, Blessed One. So it is, Sublime one. The disciple of the Noble Ones,
venerable sir, who has such a hate-free mind, such a malice-free mind, such an
undefiled mind, and such a purified mind, is one by whom, here and now, four
solaces are found.
"'Suppose there is no hereafter and there is no fruit, no result, of deeds done
well or ill. Yet in this world, here and now, free from hatred, free from
malice, safe and sound, and happy, I keep myself.' This is the second solace
found by him.
"'Suppose evil (results) befall an evil-doer. I, however, think of doing evil to
no one. Then, how can ill (results) affect me who do no evil deed?' This is the
third solace found by him.
"'Suppose evil (results) do not befall an evil-doer. Then I see myself purified
in any case.' This is the fourth solace found by him.
"The disciple of the Noble Ones, venerable sir, who has such a hate-free mind,
such a malice-free mind, such an undefiled mind, and such a purified mind, is
one by whom, here and now, these four solaces are found."
"Marvelous, venerable sir! Marvelous, venerable sir! As if, venerable sir, a
person were to turn face upwards what is upside down, or to uncover the
concealed, or to point the way to one who is lost or to carry a lamp in the
darkness, thinking, 'Those who have eyes will see visible objects,' so has the
Dhamma been set forth in many ways by the Blessed One. We, venerable sir, go to
the Blessed One for refuge, to the Dhamma for refuge, and to the Community of
Bhikkhus for refuge. Venerable sir, may the Blessed One regard us as lay
followers who have gone for refuge for life, from today."
Anguttara Nikaya, Tika Nipata
Mahavagga, Sutta No. 65
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