Continuing from previously,

As they sat there, the Kalamas of Kesaputta said to the Blessed One, “There are some brahmans & contemplatives who come to Kesaputta. They expound & glorify their own doctrines, but as for the doctrines of others, they deprecate them, revile them, show contempt for them, & disparage them. And then other brahmans & contemplatives come to Kesaputta. They expound & glorify their own doctrines, but as for the doctrines of others, they deprecate them, revile them, show contempt for them, & disparage them. They leave us absolutely uncertain & in doubt: Which of these venerable brahmans & contemplatives are speaking the truth, and which ones are lying?”

https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an03/an03.065.than.html

The scenarios above portrayed a group of people who were distressed by conflicting messages. To understand their dilemma, we can contemplate our current social situations. Nothing had changed and in fact, it has become worse because our social media allows everyone to expound their own doctrine and views.

During Buddha’s time, a person would have to travel long distances and meet people face to face before he could expound his views to others. Now it is different. Anyone can post anything online.

The main concerns addressed by Kalama sutta are not limited to religious affairs. If we think carefully, we are constantly being bombarded by various messages. Just two years ago, we were bombarded by various conflicting messages concerning Covid-19. Remember the stress arising from those conflicting messages? What is the right thing to do? The government said one thing, then a few experts stated the contrary. Not to mention the various “I know better than you” people dispensing all kinds of advice and remedies. Some advocated the vaccines while others screamed warnings of conspiracy.

When we contemplate from this perspective, it becomes clearer how Kalama sutta might come in handy for our daily life. And I have not even touched on politicians trying to gain power. Each one of them claims they have the solutions for the nation’s problems and except for him/her, all other politicians will cause the ruin of the nation! Who should I vote? Vexing huh? Have you ever experienced arguments among family and friends holding different political views?

The elephant in the room is religion. Why am I here? What is my purpose in life? What is the meaning of life? What happens after death? Each religion has its own explanations and each of them claims to be the Truth while others are false. How many conflicts resulted from such differing beliefs?

Therefore, conflicting messages can easily fracture a family or society. They can cause disharmony and even create violence. It is important for us to be aware of the troubles that can arise from conflicting views. Then we can be wary and exercise caution for the greater good.

So what was Buddha’s advice? To be continued.

May all be well and happy.