Excerpt from How to Choose a Religion
'In the Kalama Sutta, Buddha advised a group of earnest young men not to accept anything based upon mere reports, traditions or hearsay. People usually develop faith after listening to others. They accept what others say about their religions or what is recorded in their religious books. Most people seldom take the trouble to investigate, to find out whether what is said is true or not. This attitude is hard to understand especially in these modern times when a scientific education teaches people never to accept anything which cannot be explained rationally....'
Comments
A well taken extract and meaningful too. Love your blog! Happy Diwali to you!
These five things may turn out in one of two ways here and now. Now something may be fully accepted out of faith, yet it may be empty, hollow and false; yet something may also not be fully accepted out of faith, yet it may be factual, true and not mistaken. Again, something may be fully approved of
…well transmitted by tradition…
...well reasoned through logic…
...well reflected upon, yet it may be empty, hollow and false; yet something may also not be well reflected on, yet it may be factual, true and unmistaken. [Under these conditions] it is not proper for a wise person who preserves truth to come to the definite conclusion: ‘Only this is true, anything else is wrong.’
If something is accepted in any one of these five ways, particularly religious belief, than the believer does not have proper grounds to claim that only their beliefs are right and all other religions are wrong.
What the Buddha requires of his followers is that they acquire direct experience of the truth by purifying their minds and then analyzing reality with insight and wisdom.
I believe what you say is true to a certain extent and for certain people. Just hope that people don't feel for the wrong thing and I think there should be a yardstick for things like this, if it hurts and cause suffering to others, then we should start to question our feelings.
Will try to come out with more meaningful extract next time!