The Man Who Did Not Rush to Believe

On that late afternoon, the city of Vesali was bathed in pale golden sunlight. In a house with a pointed roof, the World-Honored One was sitting in the shade of the front porch. A cool breeze blew in from the Ganges, carrying the scent of wild grasses and forest heather. Suddenly, from a distance, a man in white robes, walking with a swift and agile gait, headed straight for the house. This was Badiya, of the Licchavi clan, a man renowned for his integrity and caution.

He stopped at the gate and took a deep breath. His heart was heavy with a burden. For days, throughout the streets of Vesali, people had been whispering to each other: "The ascetic Gotama is nothing but a sorcerer! He uses spells to delude people, drawing disciples away from other teachers!" The rumor spread like fire, and everyone was talking about it. But Badiya was not a man to believe easily. He told himself: "If one hears something about a spiritual teacher, one must go and ask directly for clarification. I cannot let baseless rumors lead my mind."

He entered, paid respects to the Buddha, and sat to one side. His voice trembled slightly, but he strove to remain calm: "Honored One, I hear that there are people who say: 'The ascetic Gotama is a sorcerer who knows sorcery to win over disciples of other paths.' Is what they say true? Is it in accordance with the true Dharma? Or are they distorting the World-Honored One's words? I do not wish to distort his words, so I ask for permission to inquire directly."

The Buddha looked at him, his gaze compassionate and profound. He did not answer the question about spells immediately. Instead, he looked directly into the state of mind of the man before him, to the root of the problem: human credulity. He spoke, his tone gentle yet full of authority:

"Householder Badiya, do not go by oral tradition, by lineage of teaching, by hearsay, by a collection of scriptures, by logical reasoning, by inferential reasoning, by reflection on reasons, by the acceptance of a view after pondering it, by the seeming competence of a speaker, or because you think, 'The ascetic is our teacher.' But when you know for yourselves, 'These things are unwholesome, these things are blameworthy, these things are criticized by the wise, these things, if undertaken and practiced, lead to harm and suffering'—then you should abandon them. And when you know for yourselves, 'These things are wholesome, these things are blameless, these things are praised by the wise, these things, if undertaken and practiced, lead to welfare and happiness'—then you should accept and practice them."

Badiya sat in stunned silence. Those ten points were like ten hammer blows striking directly at humanity's habit of easy belief. Before he could gather his thoughts, the Buddha continued:

"Householder Badiya, what do you think? When greed arises in a person, does that lead to welfare or to harm?"

"Honored One, to harm."

"Overcome by greed, their mind loses self-control; they might kill living beings, take what is not given, go to another's spouse, tell lies, and encourage others to do the same. Does such conduct lead to long-term harm and suffering?"

"Yes, Honored One."

"What about hatred, delusion, and cruelty, when they arise—do they lead to welfare or to harm?"

"Honored One, to harm and long-term suffering."

"Are these states wholesome or unwholesome?"

"Unwholesome, Honored One."

"Are they blameworthy or blameless?"

"Blameworthy."

"Are they criticized by the wise or praised by the wise?"

"Criticized by the wise, Honored One."

"If undertaken and practiced, do they lead to harm and suffering or not?"

"They lead to harm and suffering, Honored One."

The Buddha paused and smiled gently. He had used Badiya's own reasoning to illuminate the matter. Without a single word affirming or denying the spells, he had healed the root of all credulity. Only then did he gently address the surface issue:

"Householder Badiya, have I ever said to you, 'Come, be my disciple'?"

"Honored One, you have not."

"Then, those who say that the ascetic Gotama is a sorcerer using spells to win disciples, their words do not accord with the truth."

Badiya was overwhelmed. He knelt and pressed his palms together: "It is wonderful, Honored One! Truly wonderful! Please accept me as a lay disciple. From this day forth, for the rest of my life, I take refuge."

From that day on, Badiya became a steadfast disciple. But more importantly, he had learned a lesson the Buddha taught for all time: do not rush to believe anything, whether it is rumor, tradition, or even the words of a teacher. Use your own wisdom and direct experience to investigate, to see clearly what leads to suffering and abandon it, and what leads to peace and practice it. That is the path of wisdom, the path of Buddhism.

**Meaning of the Story**

This story teaches us the lesson of healthy skepticism and empirical wisdom. The Buddha did not want anyone to believe in him blindly. He encouraged each person to experience and verify for themselves the cause and effect of good and evil before believing and practicing. This is the scientific spirit and freedom of thought in Buddhism: no imposition, no superstition, only truth verified through each person's own life.

Compiled from a Dharma talk by Venerable Thích Chân Quang