The Kālāma Sutta and Its Reflections in Modern Buddhist Education: Authority, Critical Inquiry, and Pedagogical Transformation

Yuqiong Chen

Authors

Yuqiong Chen English Base for Buddhist Exchange 3A Floor, Building #2, Shengyun Tai, Phase II, No. 76, Jitai 2nd Road, Dayuan Street, Baiyun District, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, P.R.China

Keywords:

Kālāma Sutta, Modern Buddhist education, Critical inquiry, Buddhist epistemology, Religious pedagogy, Educational philosophy, Experiential learning

Abstract

Employing qualitative textual analysis of Pāli canonical sources combined with conceptual analysis of modern pedagogical frameworks, this paper examines the Kālāma Sutta (Aṅguttara Nikāya, 3.65), as well as modern pedagogy within Buddhism, to clarify what methods and means are taught in the Kālāma Sutta for learning about the Dharma. The analysis focuses on the sutta’s critique of uncritical deference to tradition and authority. The study also considers the moral and empirical standards that the Buddha recommends for decision-making and knowledge acquisition. These findings suggest that the sutta offers a pedagogical model that is grounded in critical inquiry, personal experience, ethics rather than dogma, and a willingness to make mistakes. This study shows how it is possible to break the rigidity of tradition by using this method, enabling a balanced integration of critical thinking, practice-based learning, and moral cultivation in response to the challenges of modernity.

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