YODA
19-Nov-2002, 07:20 AM
The son of Kesa from Kalamo once came to the Buddha and complained: "Master, every priest and monk extols his belief to me as the only true one and condemns the belief of the others as false. Doubt is torturing me since I do not know whose words I should follow."
The Buddha replied: "Your doubts are justified, son of Kesa. Listen to my advice: Do not believe anything that comes to you from hearsay; do not believe in traditions just because they are old and have gone through many generations; do not believe anything because it is the subject of rumours or of frequent discussion; do not believe just because you hear the witness of an old sage; never believe anything because of conjecture or because many years of habit tempt you to regard it as true; do not believe anything because of the mere authority of your teachers and clergymen.
Accept as true and live according to the principles which agree with the reasoning drawn from your own experience and examination, and which serve your own welfare and salvation as well as the welfare and salvation of all other beings."
The Buddha replied: "Your doubts are justified, son of Kesa. Listen to my advice: Do not believe anything that comes to you from hearsay; do not believe in traditions just because they are old and have gone through many generations; do not believe anything because it is the subject of rumours or of frequent discussion; do not believe just because you hear the witness of an old sage; never believe anything because of conjecture or because many years of habit tempt you to regard it as true; do not believe anything because of the mere authority of your teachers and clergymen.
Accept as true and live according to the principles which agree with the reasoning drawn from your own experience and examination, and which serve your own welfare and salvation as well as the welfare and salvation of all other beings."