Making Sense of the Kālāma Sutta 理解《咖拉瑪經》

Question: In connection with ‘who knows knows who knows’ and the rest, there is the famous discussion in the Kālāma Sutta between the Buddha and the Kālāmas. They were asking how they could know for sure what was true. The Buddha said you should not believe something just because it’s tradition or because a teacher said it and so forth. From this advice, many derived the popular conclusion that the Buddha taught that you should only accept what makes sense to you. On this point, I am reminded of your German student who said, ‘It is wholesome because I like it.’ Likewise, for many people, only what they like, or what appeals to their emotions, makes sense to them, instead of what appeals to their reasoning. So who is actually in a position to know what makes sense to begin with? If I say that it makes sense because I like it, then it does not make sense. 問:與剛才所引述的經文有關─知者知知者等,在《咖拉瑪經》裡,佛陀和咖拉瑪氏族人,有一段著名的對話。他們請教佛陀,如何確知哪些是真實的。佛陀說:「你不應該,因為是傳統而相信,或者,因為導師如是說,而相信等等⋯⋯。」很多人從這教導中普遍得出的結論是:「佛陀教導我們,只接受我們覺得有道理的事。」在這個觀點上,我記得您的一位德國學生說:「因為我喜歡,所以是善的。」同樣的,很多人根據他們的喜好,或者符合情緒的事情,就認為是有道理,而不是根據邏輯上的合理性去判斷。所以,誰才有資格知道什麼事情合理呢?假設我說:「這事情有道理,因為是我喜歡。」那其實是沒有道理啊!

Answer: The Kālāma Sutta was taught for many reasons. Many spiritual teachers would go to that village, and every single one of them would say, ‘What I am teaching is right; all the other teachings are wrong.’ All the teachers who went there complained about all the other teachers. Each of them looked down on the others and found fault with them. Each insisted that only his teaching was right. Therefore, when the Buddha went there, He enlightened them, saying, ‘You should feel doubtful about something that is doubtful. When you know for yourself what is wholesome and what is unwholesome, please pursue what is wholesome and act accordingly.’ The Buddha said, ‘Don’t accept something because of tradition, or because it is handed down from one generation to another, or because it is in a text, or because the one telling you about it is someone you respect.’ These are the words the Buddha shared with them because of the conditions they were encountering.

The teaching of the Buddha is reasonable. So when we hear the teaching of the Buddha, we see that He never forced anyone to believe Him. He just explained the Dhamma, which explains cause and effect, which in turn is reasonable. He simply explained what is true, what is untrue, what is wholesome, what is unwholesome, what should be done, and what shouldn’t be done.
答:《咖拉瑪經》的教導之所以會發生,有很多的原因。那時,很多宗教師都會去那個村莊。而且,每一位都會說:「我教的才是對的,其他教法都是錯的。」去過那裡的所有師長都會指責其他的導師們,每個都瞧不起其他人,挑惕他們的錯誤。每位都堅持自己的是對的。因此,當佛陀去到那裡時,啟發他們說:「對於可疑的事情,你們應該懷疑。由於你自己的確知,善與不善,請去追隨善,從善如流。」又說:「不要接受事情,只因為是傳統、或者因為是世代相傳、或者是書上說的、或者是你所尊敬的人告訴你的。」這些話就是在當時的情況下,佛陀和他們分享的。佛陀的教法是合理的,所以當我們聽到佛陀的教法時,會發現到佛陀從來不強迫別人相信他。佛陀只是講解法,法闡明了因果,就這個來說,它是合理的。佛陀純粹只是講解,哪些是真實?哪些不是真實?什麼是善?什麼是不善?什麼應該做?什麼不應該做?

We love the Dhamma. Why? Not because the Buddha expounded it, but because, on account of the Dhamma, we can reason according to our wisdom, according to our knowledge, and according to our understanding. As the Buddha said, ‘Nothing happens without causes.’ We get the opportunity to hear the Dhamma because of causes. It means that we have accumulated wholesome kamma related to the teachings of the Buddha in the past. Therefore, when we hear the Dhamma, we don’t find it very difficult to listen to and accept the teachings of the Buddha. For this reason, among those who get the opportunity to hear the Dhamma, there may be some who love the teachings of the Buddha very much, and there may be some who are still enquiring, still considering, still reflecting, and still thinking about whether what they have heard is really true or not. Because of differences in accumulated past kamma, the experience of encountering the Dhamma in this life will be different for each person. We don’t need to find fault with anyone. Why? Because these things will be different according to each person’s circumstances.
我們喜愛佛法,為什麼呢?並不是因為佛陀闡釋它,而是因為透過佛法,我們可以根據自己的智慧、知識及瞭解來論理。正如佛陀所說:「事情的發生都有原因的。」我們有機會聽聞佛法也是有原因的。這表示我們在過去世中,累積了與佛陀教法相關的善業。所以,當我們有機會聽到佛法時,我們不會覺得困難,並且會接受佛陀的教導。在有機會聽聞佛法的人當中,有的非常熱愛佛法、有的還在探問、還在考慮反思、或者思索他們所聽到的是否是真的。因為過去的業不同,每個人今生接觸到佛法的經驗也有所不同,我們不需要責怪任何人。因為,事情會不一樣是根據每個人各別的狀況而論。

Who then is responsible for deciding what is good and what is bad? No one is responsible. Differences in the way we grew up and the education we have received since we were young account for the differences in our points of view, our attitudes, and our way of thinking. Likewise, when we hear the true teaching of the Buddha, which is reasonable, which we can apply in our daily lives, and which we can use for our happiness, there occurs something like the question about the conflict between old habit patterns and new habit patterns. These two may conflict in the beginning, but when you know more of the Dhamma, you can distinguish between old patterns and new patterns.
那麼,決定事情的好壞,要由誰來負責呢?沒有人要去負責。由於每個人成長的背景不同,受的教育不同,就有不同的觀點、態度及思考的模式。相同的,當我們聽聞了佛陀真正的教法,那合理的、可以用在日常生活中的、可以讓我們快樂的法,會發生像之前發問有關舊模式與新模式之間的衝突所提的情況。新舊模式之間的衝突也許只在開始的階段發生,當你對佛法有更深入的瞭解之後,你就能分辨出新和舊的模式了。

So if you want to make your new patterns strong, you need to practise them repeatedly. Only then will the new patterns replace the old patterns. However, any new pattern should be analysed to see whether or not it is what you should follow and practise. You need to analyse it without relying on your likes or dislikes. Relying on your likes and dislikes does nothing but strengthen the defilements.
所以,你如果想要增強你的新模式,就要重複的去實行。只有這樣,新模式才可以取代舊模式。然而,面對所有新的模式時,你必須先去分析,決定是否應該遵循和實踐。分析時,不要帶有喜歡或不喜歡在裡面。倚賴好惡來做分析的話,只會增加你的煩惱而已。

While seeking the Dhamma, you should reflect as follows: ‘Am I following my likes and dislikes and basing my actions on them? Am I acting according to my defilements?’ You should not act according to your defilements. This is indulging the mind. Instead, you should be rational; you should reflect on your inclination and on what causes us to act according to our likes and dislikes. You should consider if it is really good or not. We should examine all these things constantly.
對於法的尋求,你應該思索以下的問題:「我所做的是否基於自己的好惡?我是否順著我的煩惱而行?」你不應該順著煩惱行事,那只是一種心的陷溺,你要很理性,要反思你的行為傾向,和導致我們隨順好惡的原因。你應該考慮它是否真是好的。所有這些議題,我們都應該不斷的去審思。

Source:
EXPECTATION DERIVED FROM ONE’S OWN POINT OF VIEW
Selected Questions and Answers 
[主觀與期待]-精选问答篇
Ven. Revata尊者 雷瓦達