[Translated originally from the Sanskrit Sarvāstivāda Madhyamāgama to Classical Chinese by a team led by Sarvāstivāda scholar Gautama Saṃghadeva of Kāśmīra in 398CE.
Translated from the Chinese Taisho Tripiṭaka back to Sanskrit by Ramakrishnan Suryanarayanan in 2024-26.]
madhyamāgame karmasaṃyuktavarge kālāmasūtraṃ ṣaṣṭham.
evaṃ mayā śrutam. ekasminsamaye bhagavānkālāmeṣu cārikāṃ caranmahatā bhikṣusaṅghena sārdhaṃ keśaputramanuprāptaḥ. keśaputre viharati sma keśaputranigamasyottarasyāṃ diśi śiṃśapāvane.
tena khalu samayena keśaputrakāḥ kālāmā aśrauṣuḥ—śramaṇaḥ khalu gautamaḥ śākyaputraḥ śākyakulātpravrajitaḥ kālāmeṣu cārikāṃ caranmahatā bhikṣusaṅghena sārdhaṃ keśaputramanuprāpto viharati sma keśaputre nigame śiṃśapāvane uttarasyāṃ diśīti. taṃ khalu punarbhagavantaṃ gautamamevaṃ kalyāṇaḥ kīrtiśabdo'bhyudgataḥ. iti hi sa bhagavānarhansamyaksambuddho vidyācaraṇasampannaḥ sugato lokavidanuttaraḥ puruṣadamyasārathiḥ śāstā devānāṃ ca manuṣyāṇāṃ ca buddho bhagavāniti. sa imaṃ lokaṃ sadevakaṃ samārakaṃ sabrahmakaṃ saśramaṇabrāhmaṇīṃ prajāṃ sadevamanuṣyāṃ svayamabhijñāya sākṣātkṛtopasampadya viharati. sa dharmaṃ deśayatyādau kalyāṇaṃ madhye kalyāṇaṃ paryavasāne kalyāṇaṃ sārthaṃ savyañjanaṃ kevalaparipūrṇaṃ pariśuddhaṃ brahmacaryaṃ samprakāśayati. sādhu khalu punarevaṃrūpāṇāmarhatāṃ samyaksambuddhānāṃ darśanaṃ bhavati satkāro vandanaṃ pūjanamupāsanā ca. te vayaṃ śramaṇaṃ gautamaṃ darśanāya vandanāya pūjanāyopāsanāyopasaṅkrāmemeti.
atha te keśaputrakāḥ kālāmāḥ śrutvā svasvaparivāraiḥ sārdhaṃ keśaputrānnirgatyottarāṃ diśaṃ śiṃśapāvanaṃ gatvā yena bhagavāṃstenopajagmur bhagavantaṃ darśanāya vandanāya pūjanāyopāsanāya ca. upetya kecitkālāmā bhagavataḥ pādau śirasā vanditvaikānte nyaṣīdan. kecidbhagavatā sārdhaṃ sammukhaṃ sammodanīṃ saṃrañjanīṃ vividhāṃ kathāṃ vyatisāryaikānte nyaṣīdan. kecidyena bhagavāṃstenāñjaliṃ praṇāmyaikānte nyaṣīdan. keciddūrata eva bhagavantaṃ dṛṣṭvā tūṣṇīmekānte nyaṣīdan. teṣu kālāmeṣvevamekāntaniṣaṇṇeṣu bhagavāndharmyayā kathayā sandarśayati samādāpayati samuttejayati sampraharṣayati. anekaparyāyeṇa dharmyayā kathayā sandarśya samādāpya samuttejya sampraharṣya tūṣṇīmabhūt.
atha te kālāmā bhagavatā dharmyayā kathayā sandarśitāḥ samādāpitāḥ samuttejitāḥ sampraharṣitā utthāyāsanādekāṃsamuttarāsaṅgaṃ kṛtvā yena bhagavāṃstenāñjaliṃ praṇāmya bhagavantametadavocan—iha, bho gautama, eke śramaṇabrāhmaṇāḥ kālāmānupasaṅkrāmanti. te svakameva vādaṃ dīpayanti dyotayanti, paravādaṃ punaravajānanti paribhavanti. apare'pi, bho gautama, śramaṇabrāhmaṇāḥ kālāmānupasaṅkrāmanti. te'pi svakameva vādaṃ dīpayanti dyotayanti, paravādaṃ punaravajānanti paribhavanti. teṣāṃ no, bho gautama, śṛṇvatāmevamutpadyate kāṅkṣotpadyate vicikitsā—ko nveṣāṃ bhavatāṃ śramaṇabrāhmaṇānāṃ satyamāha, ko nveṣāṃ mṛṣāmāheti.
bhagavānavocat—alaṃ vaḥ kālāmāḥ kāṅkṣitum, alaṃ vicikitsitum. kāṅkṣaṇīya eva vaḥ sthāne vicikitsotpannā. kālāmāḥ, yūyamapariśuddhajñānāḥ—asti vā paraloko nāsti vā paraloka iti. kālāmāḥ, yūyamapariśuddhajñānāḥ—kṛtaṃ karma sāvadyaṃ vāstyanavadyaṃ veti. tasmāttarhi kālāmāḥ, jānīdhvaṃ karmāṇāṃ trīṇīmāni nidānāni hetavo mūlāni bhavanti. katamāni trīṇi? kālāmā lobhaḥ karmāṇāṃ nidānaṃ heturmūlaṃ bhavati. kālāmā dveṣaḥ karmāṇāṃ nidānaṃ heturmūlaṃ bhavati. kālāmā mohaḥ karmāṇāṃ nidānaṃ heturmūlaṃ bhavati.
kālāmā yo hi lubdho lobhābhibhūtaḥ paryāttacitto'tṛpto bhavati, sa prāṇinamapi hanti, adattamapi datte, kāmeṣvapi mithyā carati, samprajānanmṛṣāvādamapi bhāṣate, madyamapi pibati. kālāmā yo hi dviṣṭo dveṣābhibhūtaḥ paryādattacitto'tṛpto bhavati, sa prāṇinamapi hanti, adattamapi datte, kāmeṣvapi mithyā carati, samprajānanmṛṣāvādamapi bhāṣate, madyamapi pibati. kālāmā yo hi mūḍho mohābhibhūtaḥ paryāttacitto'tṛpto bhavati, sa prāṇinamapi hanti, adattamapi datte, kāmeṣvapi mithyā carati, samprajānanmṛṣāvādamapi bhāṣate, madyamapi pibati.
kālāmāḥ, sa śrutavānāryaśrāvakaḥ prāṇātipātaṃ prahāya prāṇātipātātprativirato bhavati, nihitadaṇḍo nihitaśastro lajjī dayāpannaḥ sarvaprāṇabhūteṣu yāvatkunthapipīlikeṣu hitānukampī viharati. sa prāṇātipātāccittaṃ pariśodhayati. kālāmāḥ, sa śrutavānāryaśrāvako'dattādānaṃ prahāyādattādānātprativirato bhavati, dattamādatte dattādānārāmaḥ, nityadānapriyo muditahṛdayo'matsarī, na ca vipākaṃ pratikāṅkṣate. so'smādadattādānāccittaṃ pariśodhayati. kālāmāḥ, sa śrutavānāryaśrāvako'brahmacaryaṃ prahāyābrahmacaryātprativirato bhavati, brahmacārī bhavati ārācārī viśuddho'nāvilaśchinno grāmyadharmānmaithunāt. so'smādabrahmacaryāccittaṃ pariśodhayati. kālāmāḥ, sa śrutavānāryaśrāvako mṛṣāvādaṃ prahāya mṛṣāvādātprativirato bhavati, satyavādī bhavati satyasandhaḥ satyārāmaḥ sthitavāgastheyapaurūṣo'visaṃvādako lokasya. so'smānmṛṣāvādāccittaṃ pariśodhayati.
kālāmāḥ, sa śrutavānāryaśrāvakaḥ paiśunyaṃ prahāya paiśunyātprativirato bhavati, itaḥ śrutvā nāmutrākhyātā eṣāṃ bhedāya, amutra śrutvā nehākhyātā eṣāṃ bhedāya, iti bhinnānāṃ vā sandhātā sahitānāṃ vānupradātā samagrārāmaḥ samagrarataḥ samagranandī samagrakaraṇīṃ vācaṃ bhāṣate. so'smātpaiśunyāccittaṃ pariśodhayati. kālāmāḥ, sa śrutavānāryaśrāvakaḥ pāruṣyaṃ prahāya pāruṣyātprativirato bhavati. yā sā vākkaṭukā karkaśā rūkṣā parābhiṣaṅgiṇī paratāpanī amanojñā akāntā krodhasāmantāsamādhisaṃvartanikā, tathārūpāṃ vācaṃ prahāya, yā sā vāgakarkaśā ślakṣṇā mṛdvī śravaṇīyā karṇasukhā premanīyā hṛdayaṅgamā paurī bahujanakāntā bahujanamanāpā parāśvāsakarī samādhisaṃvartanikā, tathārūpāṃ vācaṃ bhāṣate. so'smātpāruṣyāccittaṃ pariśodhayati. kālāmāḥ, sa śrutavānāryaśrāvakaḥ sambhinnapralāpaṃ prahāya sambhinnapralāpātprativirato bhavati. kālavādī bhūtavādī dharmavādī arthavādī upaśamavādī, upaśamārāmaḥ, kālena sānidarśanāṃ sānupūrvyāṃ saparyantāmarthopasaṃhitāṃ vācaṃ bhāṣate, suśikṣakaḥ sugarhakaśca bhavati. so'smātsambhinnapralāpāccittaṃ pariśodhayati. kālāmāḥ, sa śrutavānāryaśrāvako'bhidhyāṃ prahāyābhidhyāyāḥ prativirato bhavati, avivadamānacitto yatparavittopakaraṇaṃ jīvitopaskaraṃ ca, tanna spṛhayati—aho vata yatparasya tanmama syāditi. so'smādabhidhyāyāścittaṃ pariśodhayati.
kālāmāḥ, sa śrutavānāryaśrāvako vyāpādaṃ prahāya vyāpādātprativirato bhavati, hrīmānapatrāpī dayāpannaḥ sarvaprāṇabhūteṣu yāvatkunthapipīlikeṣu hitānukampī viharati. sa vyāpādāccittaṃ pariśodhayati. kālāmāḥ, sa śrutavānāryaśrāvako mithyādṛṣṭiṃ prahāya samyagdṛṣṭiko bhavatyaviparītadarśanaḥ, evaṃdṛṣṭirevaṃvādī bhavati—asti dattam, astīṣṭam, asti hutam, asti sucaritaduṣcaritānāṃ karmaṇāṃ phalaṃ vipākaḥ, astyayaṃ loko'sti paralokaḥ, asti mātā'sti pitā, santi sattvā aupapādukāḥ, santi loke śramaṇabrāhmaṇāḥ samyaggatāḥ samyakpratipannā ye imaṃ ca lokaṃ paraṃ ca lokaṃ svayaṃ jñātvā sākṣātkṛtyopasampadya pravedayantīti. sa mithyādṛṣṭeścittaṃ pariśodhayati.
kālāmāḥ, evamāryaśrāvakaḥ sampannaśīlaḥ sampannapariśuddhakāyakarmā sampannapariśuddhavāṅmanaskarmā, vyāpādaṃ prahāya raṇaṃ prahāya styānamiddhamapahāyoddhatyaṃ prahāya vicikitsāṃ chittvā mānamatītya smṛtimānsamprajānannamūḍho bhavati. sa maitrīsahagatena cetasaikāṃ diśamadhimucya viharati, tathā dvitīyāṃ tathā tṛtīyāṃ tathā caturthīm. iti tiryagūrdhvamadhaḥ samantaṃ sarvato maitrīsahagatena cetasāvaireṇāsapatnenāvyāpādenāraṇena vipulena mahadgatenāpramāṇena subhāvitenāśeṣaṃ lokaṃ spharitvādhimucya viharati. evaṃ karuṇāsahagatena cetasā, muditāsahagatena cetasā, upekṣāsahagatena cetasā, avaireṇāsapatnenāvyāpādenāraṇena vipulena mahadgatenāpramāṇena subhāvitenāśeṣaṃ lokaṃ spharitvādhimucya viharati.
kālāmāḥ, evaṃ tasya śrutavata āryaśrāvakasyāgranthasyāvairasyāvyāpādasyāraṇasya cetasaścatvāra āśvāsā adhigatā bhavanti. katame catvāraḥ? yadyasti paraloko'sti sucaritaduṣcaritānāṃ karmaṇāṃ phalaṃ vipākaḥ, tato mayā yeyaṃ samyagdṛṣṭiḥ samāttā, tasyā hetorahaṃ kāyasya bhedātparaṃ maraṇātsugatiṃ svargaṃ lokamupapatsya iti. kālāmāḥ, evaṃ tasya śrutavata āryaśrāvakasyāgranthasyāvairasyāvyāpādasyāraṇasya cetaso'yaṃ prathama āśvāso'dhigato bhavati. yadi ca nāsti paraloko nāsti sucaritaduṣcaritānāṃ karmaṇāṃ phalaṃ vipākaḥ, tathāpyahaṃ dṛṣṭa eva dharme naitaddhetoḥ pareṣāṃ nindyo bhavāmi, api tu samyagjñānibhiḥ paṇḍitairārabdhavīryaḥ samyagdṛṣṭika ityahaṃ praśasyo bhavāmīti. kālāmāḥ, evaṃ tasya śrutavata āryaśrāvakasyāgranthasyāvairasyāvyāpādasyāraṇasya cetaso'yaṃ dvitīya āśvāso'dhigato bhavati. yadi ca yatkiñcitkurvataḥ pāpaṃ bhavati, tathāpyahaṃ na kasyacitpāpaṃ cintayāmi, svayamanācarataḥ pāpaṃ kuto me duḥkhaṃ samutpatsyata iti. kālāmāḥ, evaṃ tasya śrutavata āryaśrāvakasyāgranthasyāvairasyāvyāpādasyāraṇasya cetaso'yaṃ tṛtīya āśvāso'dhigato bhavati. yadi ca yatkiñcitkurvataḥ pāpaṃ na bhavati, tathāpyahamapāpakārī loke bhītairabhītaiśca nāparādhyāmi, sarvasamantaṃ lokaṃ nityamanukampāmi, na ca me cittaṃ sattvaiḥ sārdhaṃ raṇati, anāvilaṃ pramuditaṃ ca tiṣṭhatīti. kālāmāḥ, evaṃ tasya śrutavata āryaśrāvakasyāgranthasyāvairasyāvyāpādasyāraṇasya cetaso'yaṃ caturtha āśvāso'dhigato bhavati. kālāmāḥ, evaṃ tasya śrutavata āryaśrāvakasyāgranthasyāvairasyāvyāpādasyāraṇasya cetasa ime catvāra āśvāsā adhigatā bhavanti.
kālāmā bhagavantametadavocan—evametad, bho gautama! evametat, sugata! tasya śrutavata āryaśrāvakasyāgranthasyāvairasyāvyāpādasyāraṇasya cetasaścatvāra āśvāsā adhigatā bhavanti. katame catvāraḥ? yadyasti paraloko'sti sucaritaduṣcaritānāṃ karmaṇāṃ phalaṃ vipākaḥ, tato mayā yeyaṃ samyagdṛṣṭiḥ samāttā, tasyā hetorahaṃ kāyasya bhedātparaṃ maraṇātsugatiṃ svargaṃ lokamupapatsya iti. bho gautama, evaṃ tasya śrutavata āryaśrāvakasyāgranthasyāvairasyāvyāpādasyāraṇasya cetaso'yaṃ prathama āśvāso'dhigato bhavati. yadi ca nāsti paraloko nāsti sucaritaduṣcaritānāṃ karmaṇāṃ phalaṃ vipākaḥ, tathāpyahaṃ dṛṣṭa eva dharme naitaddhetoḥ pareṣāṃ nindyo bhavāmi, api tu samyagjñānibhiḥ paṇḍitairārabdhavīryaḥ samyagdṛṣṭika ityahaṃ praśasyo bhavāmīti. bho gautama, evaṃ tasya śrutavata āryaśrāvakasyāgranthasyāvairasyāvyāpādasyāraṇasya cetaso'yaṃ dvitīya āśvāso'dhigato bhavati. yadi ca yatkiñcitkurvataḥ pāpaṃ bhavati, tathāpyahaṃ na kasyacitpāpaṃ cintayāmi, svayamanācarataḥ pāpaṃ kuto me duḥkhaṃ samutpatsyata iti. bho gautama, evaṃ tasya śrutavata āryaśrāvakasyāgranthasyāvairasyāvyāpādasyāraṇasya cetaso'yaṃ tṛtīya āśvāso'dhigato bhavati. yadi ca yatkiñcitkurvataḥ pāpaṃ na bhavati, tathāpyahamapāpakārī loke bhītairabhītaiśca nāparādhyāmi, sarvasamantaṃ lokaṃ nityamanukampāmi, na ca me cittaṃ sattvaiḥ sārdhaṃ raṇati, anāvilaṃ pramuditaṃ ca tiṣṭhatīti. bho gautama, evaṃ tasya śrutavata āryaśrāvakasyāgranthasyāvairasyāvyāpādasyāraṇasya cetaso'yaṃ caturtha āśvāso'dhigato bhavati. bho gautama, evaṃ tasya śrutavata āryaśrāvakasyāgranthasyāvairasyāvyāpādasyāraṇasya cetasa ime catvāra āśvāsā adhigatā bhavanti. ājñātaṃ, bho gautama, ājñātaṃ, sugata! te vayaṃ bhavantaṃ gautamaṃ śaraṇaṃ gacchāmo dharmaṃ ca bhikṣusaṅghaṃ ca. upāsakānasmānbhagavāndhārayatvadyāgreṇa yāvajjīvaṃ prāṇopetāñcharaṇagatānprasannāniti.
idamavocadbhagavān. āttamanasaste kālāmāste ca bhikṣavo bhagavato bhāṣitamabhyanandan.
kālāmasūtraṃ ṣaṣṭhaṃ samāptam.