Believe not because some old manuscripts are produced, believe not because it is your national belief, believe not because you have been made to believe from your childhood, but reason truth out, and after you have analyzed it, then if you find it will do good to one and all, believe it, live up to it and help others live up to it.

This modern-sounding admonition is commonly attributed to the Buddha as a summary of the spirit of the “Kalama Sutta,” a discourse in which the Buddha addresses the Kalamas, who are confused by competing teachers and doctrines. In that setting, he advises them not to accept claims merely on the basis of tradition, scripture, hearsay, lineage of teachers, or long-held communal belief, but to examine teachings for themselves and to adopt what leads to welfare and benefit. However, the exact wording given here appears to be a later paraphrase rather than a verbatim canonical passage, reflecting modern idioms (“national belief,” “old manuscripts”) not typical of early Buddhist translations.

The quotation expresses a principle strongly associated with early Buddhist teaching: do not accept a doctrine merely on the basis of tradition, authority, scripture, or upbringing; instead, examine it for yourself and adopt it if it proves wholesome and beneficial. Its emphasis on testing beliefs by reasoned inquiry and by their ethical consequences (“will do good to one and all”) aligns with the pragmatic, experiential orientation often highlighted in Buddhism—valuing direct understanding and the reduction of harm over dogmatic assent. In modern usage, the line is frequently invoked to portray Buddhism as encouraging critical thinking and personal verification rather than faith alone.