This quote promotes critical thinking and personal verification above blind faith. It encourages individuals to test teachings against their own experience and logical understanding, rather than accepting them simply because of authority or tradition. It's a powerful call for intellectual independence and self-inquiry.
Quote by Gautama Buddha: “Do not believe anything, no matter where you read it, unless it agrees with your own reason.”
Do not believe anything, no matter where you read it, unless it agrees with your own reason.
Insight
Historical Context
The Kalama Sutta, where this quote originates, is famous for its emphasis on empirical verification and critical inquiry, challenging people to not accept teachings merely on hearsay, tradition, or authority, but to test them for themselves.
About the Author
Ascetic and spiritual teacher of South Asia who lived during the latter half of the first millennium BCE. He is the founder of Buddhism and revered by Buddhists as an enlightened being who taught a Middle Way between sensual indulgence and severe asceticism.
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