Vol. 11 · pages 291–295

272 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES III § 7. Reading Books of Dhamma is Not— Dhamma 1. The Brahmins put all their emphasis upon knowledge. They taught that knowledge was the be-all and end-all of every thing. Nothing further was to be considered. 2. The Buddha was on the other hand an upholder of education for all. Besides, he was more concerned with the use of knowledge a man is likely to make than with knowledge itself. 3. Consequently he was very particular to emphasize that he who has knowledge must have Sila (Virtue) and that knowledge without Sila (Virtue) was most dangerous. 4. The importance of Sila as against Prajna is well illustrated by what he told the Bhikku Patisena. 5. In olden times when Buddha was residing at Sravasti, there was an old mendicant called Patisena who being by nature cross and dull, could not learn so much as one Gatha by heart. 6. The Buddha accordingly ordered 500 Arahatas day by day to instruct him, but after three years he still was unable to remember even one Gatha. 7. Then all the peoples of the country (the four orders of people) knowing his ignorance, began to ridicule him, on which the Buddha, pitying his case, called him to his side, and gently repeated the following stanza : “He who guards his mouth, and restrains his thoughts, he who offends not with his body, the man who acts thus shall obtain deliverance.” 8. Then Patisena, moved by a sense of the Master’s goodness to him, felt his heart opened, and once he repeated the stanza. 9. The Buddha then addressed him further—“You now, an old man, can repeat a stanza only, and men know this, and they will still ridicule you, therefore, I will now explain the meaning of the verse to you, and do you on your part attentively listen.” 10. Then the Buddha declared the three causes connected with the body, the four connected with the

273 WHAT IS NOT—DHAMMA III mouth, and the three connected with the thoughts, by destroying which men might obtain deliverance, on which the mendicant, fully realizing the truth thus explained, obtained the condition of an Arahat. 11. Now, at this time, there were 500 Bhikkhunis dwelling in their Vihara, who sent one of their number to the Buddha to request him to send them a priest to instruct them in the Dhamma. 12. On hearing their request the Buddha desired the old mendicant Patisena to go to them for this purpose. 13. On knowing that this arrangement had been made, all the nuns began to laugh together, and agreed on the morrow, when he came, to say the Gatha wrong (backward), and so confuse the old man and put him to shame. 14. Then on the morrow when he came, all the Bhikkhunis, great and small, went forth to salute him and as they did so, they looked at one another and smiled. 15. Then sitting down, they offered him food. Having eaten and washed his hands, they then begged him to begin his sermon. On which the aged mendicant ascended the elevated seat, and sitting down, began : 16. “Sisters ! My talent is small, my learning is very little. I know only one Gatha, but I will repeat that and explain its meaning. Do you listen with attention and understand.” 17. Then all the young nuns began to attempt to say the Gatha backwards; but lo! they could not open their mouths ; and filled with shame, they hung down their heads in sorrow. 18. Then Patisena having repeated the Gatha, began to explain it, as the Buddha instructed him. 19. Then all the Bhikkhunis hearing his words, were filled with surprise, and rejoicing to hear such instruction, with one heart they received it, and became Arahatas. 20. On the day after this, the King Prasenjit invited the Buddha and the whole congregation of

274 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES III priests to assemble at his palace to partake of hospitality. 21. The Buddha therefore recognizing the superior and revered appearance of Patisena, desired him to bear his alms-dish and follow him as he went. 22. But when they came to the palace gate, the porter, knowing his character (antecedents), would not let him go into the hall, saying : “We have no hospitality for a priest who knows but one Gatha ; there is no room for such common fellows as you— make place for your betters and begone.” 23. Patisena accordingly sat down outside the door. 24. The Buddha now ascended the dais, after having washed his hands, and lo ! the arm of Patisena, with the alms-dish in its hand, entered the room. 25. Then the king, the ministers, and all the assembly seeing this sight, were filled with astonishment, and said, “Ah ! Who is this ?” 26. On which the Buddha replied, “It is Patisena, the mendicant. He has but just obtained enlightenment, and I desired him to bear my alms-dish behind me; but the porter has refused him admission.” 27. On this he was admitted and entered the assembly. 28. Then Prasenjit, turning to Buddha, said : “I hear that this Patisena is a man of small ability, and knows only one Gatha, how, then, has he obtained the supreme wisdom ?” 29. To which Buddha replied : “Learning need not be much, conduct (Sila) is the first thing. 30. “This, Patisena, has allowed the secret virtue of the words of this one Gatha to penetrate his spirit ; his body, mouth, and thoughts have obtained perfect quietude; for though a man knows ever so much, if his knowledge reaches not to his life, to deliver him from the power which leads to destruction, what benefit can all his learning be ?” 31. Then the Buddha said : 32. “Although a man repeats a thousand stanzas (sections), but understands not the meaning of the

275 WHAT IS NOT—DHAMMA III lines he repeats, his performance is not equal to the repetition of one sentence well understood, which is able when heard to control thought. To repeat a thousand words without understanding, what profit is there in this ? But to understand one truth, and hearing it, to act accordingly, this is to find deliverance. 33. “A man may be able to repeat many books but if he cannot explain them what profit is there in this ? But to explain one sentence of the law and to walk accordingly, this is the way to find supreme wisdom.” 34. On hearing these words, the two hundred bhikkhus, the king and his ministers were filled with joy. § 8. Belief in the Infallibility of Books of Dhamma is Not—Dhamma 1. The Brahmins had declared that the Vedas were not only sacred but in point of authority they were final. 2. Not only were the Vedas declared by the Brahmins to be final but they were declared by them to be infallible. 3. The Buddha was totally opposed to the Brahmins on this point. 4. He denied that the Vedas were sacred. He denied that whatever the Vedas said was final. He denied that the Vedas were infallible. 5. There were many teachers who had taken the same position as he had done. However, later on they or their followers all gave in order to win respect and goodwill from the Brahmins for their systems of philosophy. But the Buddha never yielded on this issue. 6. In the Tvijja Sutta the Buddha declared that the Vedas were a waterless desert, a pathless jungle, in fact perdition. No man with intellectual and moral thirst can go to the Vedas and hope to satisfy his thirst. 7. As to infallibility of the Vedas, he said nothing

276 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES III is infallible, not even the Vedas. Everything, he said, must be subject to examination and re-examination. 8. This he made clear in his sermon to the Kalamas. 9. 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. 10. 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: 11. “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. 12. “And so, Lord, we are in uncertainty and doubt, knowing not which among these venerable ascetics speaks truth and which falsehood.” 13. “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.” 14. “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.” 15. “What, then, should we do? What test should we apply ?” asked the Kalamas.