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Showing posts from February, 2022

It is Proper to Doubt: Skepticism as a Form of Honesty

By Barrett Evans ~ Indeed, it is proper to doubt, K ā l ā mas, and to be perplexed.  When there is a doubtful situation, perplexity arises.  In such cases, do not accept a thing by recollection, by tradition, by mere report, because it is based on the authority of scriptures, by mere logic or inference, by reflection on conditions, because of reflection on or fondness of a certain theory, because it merely seems suitable, nor thinking: “This religious wanderer is respected by us.” But when you know for yourselves: “These things are unwholesome, blameworthy, reproached by the wise, when undertaken and performed lead to harm and suffering”—these things you should reject.   — The Buddha, Discourse to the Kālāmas I n this famous passage from the Discourse to the Kālāmas , the Buddha makes a simple statement that can seem completely radical for the mind held in dogmatic religious thinking.  Namely, that it is proper to doubt the doubtful.  In almost any other area of inquiry, this proposi