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276 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
is infallible, not even the Vedas. Everything, he said, must be subject to examination and re-examination.
- This he made clear in his sermon to the Kalamas.
III
Once the Blessed One, while passing through the land of the Kosalas accompanied by a large following of disciples, came to the town of Kesaputta which was inhabited by the Kalamas.
When the Kalamas came to know of his arrival they be took themselves thither where the Blessed One was and sat down on one side. So seated, the Kalamas of Kesaputta spoke thus to the Blessed One:
“There are, Lord, some ascetics and recluses who come to Kesaputta and who elucidate and exalt their own views, but they break up, crush down, revile and oppose the views of others. And there be other ascetics and recluses, Lord, who come to Kesaputta, and they too expound and magnify their own beliefs, but destroy, suppress, despise and set themselves against the beliefs of others.
“And so, Lord, we are in uncertainty and doubt, knowing not which among these venerable ascetics speaks truth and which falsehood.”
“Good cause, indeed, have you Kalamas to be uncertain ; good cause have you to doubt,” said the Blessed One. “Truly, upon just occasion has uncertainty and doubt arisen in you.”
“Come, O you Kalamas,” continued the Lord, “do not go merely by what you hear ; do not go merely by what has been handed down from one to another ; do not go by what is commonly reported ; do not go merely by what is found written in the scriptures ; do not go by subtleties of reasoning, do not go by subtleties of logic ; do not go merely by considerations based upon mere appearances ; do not go merely by agreeable beliefs and views ; do not go merely by what looks to be genuine ; do not go merely by word of some ascetic or superior.”
“What, then, should we do? What test should we apply ?” asked the Kalamas.