These 3 Pali
suttas, of unknown provenance, constitute the basic of Theravada Buddhism. A
forth sutta, allegedly spoken by the Tathagata to instruct how an individual
should respond to the claims and promises of itinerant beggar-men teachers
suffering from delusions of grandeur, has been added as bonus. In short, they
should be regarded as the ‘small print’, and which it is vital to read and
understand prior to buying in to a Buddhist sect, Hinayana or Mahayana.
Caveat Emptor,
Buyer Beware!
The trick is to
read the suttas very, very slowly, having cleared the mind of imprinted belief
and the emotions of the heat of fanatic devotion. Reading them slowly, meme by
meme, zooms out the actual statements so that their archaic and strange logic
and obscured implications and ramifications appear in stark, and somewhat
painful relief and a functional understanding of their messages is generated.
1. Setting
Rolling the Wheel of Dhamma
2. Anatta sutta
3. Fire Sutta
+ 4.
Kalamas sutta