Which religion to choose? What Buddhism says?

In these days, we should not follow a religion through birth or mere belief. Religion is the way to live and it should not be taken without logical analysis. The Buddha preached his disciples to follow the ways of discrimination and research. He never supported to take or accept anything by mere belief or trust. This should also be the theory in our practical life. I find the following dialogue between the Buddha and Kalamas of Kesaputta very interesting.

Once the Kalamas of Kesaputta asked the Buddha: “Sir, when certain religious leaders come to our village; each of them proclaims and expounds their own view and abuses that of others. They revile others’ view, depreciate it and cripple it. When we listen to them, we have doubt as to which of them is speaking the truth and which speaks falsehood.”

Then the master spoke thus:
“Yes, Kalamas, right it is to doubt what is doubtful and not clear.
Be not misled by tradition, hearsay or mere logic or inference, or after reflection on and approval of some theory, or out of respect for a religious person. But when you know for yourselves: These things are unprofitable, blameworthy, are censured by wise; these things when performed and undertaken, conduce to loss and sorrow-then indeed reject them.
Now what do you think? When greed, ill will and delusion arise within a man, do they arise for his profit or loss?”
“To his loss, sir.”

“Now, does not this man, being influenced by greed, ill will and delusion, commit evil and mislead another to his loss and sorrow for a long time?”
“He does, sir.”

“Well then, Kalamas, what do you think? Are these things profitable or unprofitable?”
“Unprofitable, sir.”

“Are they blameworthy or not?”
“Blameworthy, sir.”

“Are they censured by the intelligent or not?”
“They are censured, sir.”

“If performed and undertaken, do they conduce to loss and sorrow or not?”
“They conduce to loss and sorrow, sir.”

“So then, Kalamas, as to my words to you just now: Be not misled, but when you know for yourselves: These things are unprofitable, conduce to loss and sorrow-then indeed reject them, such was my reason for uttering them.
Kalamas, be not misled by tradition, hearsay or mere logic or inference, or after reflection on and approval of some theory, or out of respect for a religious person. But when you know for yourselves: These things are profitable, blameless, praised by the wise; these things when performed and undertaken, conduce to profit and happiness-then follow them and abide therein.
Now what do you think, Kalamas? When freedom from greed, ill will and delusion arises in a man, does it arise to his profit or loss?”
“To his profit, sir.”

“Does not this man, not influenced by greed, ill will and delusion, refrain from evil and lead another into happiness?”
“He does, sir.”

“Well then, Kalamas, what do you think? Are these things profitable or unprofitable?”
“Profitable, sir.”

“Are they censured or praised by the wise?”
“They are praised, sir.”

“When performed and undertaken, do they conduce to happiness or not?”
“They conduce to happiness, sir.”

“So then Kalamas, as to my words to you just now: be not misled by tradition, hearsay or mere logic or inference, or after reflection on and approval of some theory, or out of respect for a religious person. But when you know for yourselves: These things are profitable, blameless, praised by the wise; these things when performed and undertaken, conduce to profit and happiness-then follow them and abide therein, such was my reason for saying them.”

The reader will note that this discourse, Kalama Sutta, discourages dogmatism and blind faith with a vigorous call for free investigation. Nevertheless he should not hastily conclude that the Buddha was, “a pragmatic empiricist who dismisses all doctrines and faith, and whose Dhamma is simply a freethinker’s kit to truth which invites each one to accept and respect whatever he likes.” He should read with careful attention the last section of the dialogue in which the Buddha emphasizes the importance of the three root causes of all evil: greed, ill will and delusion, and their opposites, the root causes of all good: dispassion, good will and wisdom. Thus discourse to the Kalamas offers an acid test for gaining confidence in the Dhamma as a viable doctrine of deliverance.