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54 EASTERN HORIZON | TEACHINGS

Namgyal: In the Buddhist scriptures, particularly the Aggacitta: The Buddha gave this discourse to
sūtra sources for the field of pramāna, i.e. logic and people who were already bewildered by the diverse
epistemology, and the related commentarial works, one teachings of passing ascetics and brahmin priests. He
will find that the entirety of phenomena is divided into therefore advised them not to merely believe, but to
three categories: 1) Obvious; 2) Slightly hidden; and 3) abandon those things that they personally know to
Extremely hidden. This classification is based on their be unwholesome, blameworthy, censured by the wise
general accessibility or lack thereof to our senses. The and not conducive to welfare and happiness. (Note
first category includes phenomena such as books, trees, that he did not make the often misquoted sweeping
cups, smells, etc. that are directly perceptible to our statement: Know the truth for yourself.) Then, instead
five senses. The second category includes phenomena of introducing yet another diverse doctrine, he used an
such as impermanence, selflessness, emptiness, etc. empirical approach to ask them about some obvious
that though we can get some hint or inference about ethical norms and the roots of how they could be
them through our senses, they are not directly evident violated. He managed to get them to agree, through their
to the ordinary senses and have to be verified through personal experience, that those roots of greed, hate and
reasoning. The third category includes things such as delusion were unwholesome, blameworthy, censured by
the subtle workings of karma across lives or across a the wise and not conducive to welfare and happiness.
large span of time or space. That is, the minute details Conversely, they also agreed that their opposites were
of what, when, how, where, with whom, etc. regarding a wholesome, etc. The Buddha then concluded that this
connection between a remote action and its subsequent was what he meant by personal verification of the
result, not just a general idea about causation. In this unwholesome and wholesome, abandonment of the
regard, the truth of the matter have to be arrived at former and fulfilment of the latter.
indirectly through several rounds or layers of rational
thinking, ultimately though, grounded on a perceptible For those sceptics who find the above so-called “Charter
fact. This division into these three categories of of Free Enquiry” inspiring, there is a discourse (3)
phenomena is made from the perspective of an ordinary in which the Buddha declared that there is a method
being, not a Buddha, to whom everything is obvious and through which one can attain arahantship without
directly perceived. recourse to faith, liking, hearsay, intellection, or
reasoned acceptance of (another’s) view. It is simply
We could also make a similar division into the three this: Having perceived anything with the 6 senses, one
categories, but based on an individual’s capacity and/ knows with right wisdom, whether or not there is greed,
or given situation. For example, the fire in front of an hate or delusion internally.
individual is an obvious phenomenon; he can perceive
it directly. A fire totally covered behind a house in front Min Wei: There is no doubt that in the Kālāma Sutta,
of him is a slightly hidden phenomenon; he would have the Buddha firmly advised us not to accept something
to rely on some other empirical evidence to arrive at an merely because it is a tradition or it is written down in
inferential cognition of it, like the observation of smoke. scriptures. Likewise, we should not believe something
Lastly, a fire on the other side of the world is extremely as true just because the speaker is our teacher, guru
hidden phenomenon to that individual, at that given or founder of one’s religion. In the Kālāma Sutta, the
time and place, warranting him to use much more Buddha taught that none of these are sufficient reasons
indirect, multi-layered reasoning to cognize it. for truth. Instead, something is only worth considering
as true if it has been investigated thoroughly and
In the Kālāma Sutta, AN 3.65, the Buddha advised through direct experience. In this discourse, the Buddha
us not to merely believe but to know the truth for pointed out the important message of independence in
oneself. But how do we even begin this search if we thought, study, understanding, practice, and the benefits
are considered ignorant and unenlightened? of practice. However, it does not mean the kind of selfish
independence that blindly does whatever we want.