The Authenticity of the Pali Suttas

'When you know for yourselves that, 'These qualities are unskillful; these qualities are blameworthy; these qualities are criticized by the wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to harm & to suffering' — then you should abandon them.''Yadā tumhe kālāmā attanā'va jāneyyātha: ime dhammā akusalā, ime dhammā sāvajjā, ime dhammā viññūgarahitā, ime dhammā samattā samādinnā ahitāya dukkhāya saṃvattantī'ti: atha tumhe kālāmā pajaheyyātha.'- Kalama Sutta AN 3.65'The Theravada tradition, dominant in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Thailand, regards the Pali suttas as the authentic and authoritative record of the Buddha's own words. When Western scholars — piqued by issues of authority and authenticity — first learned of these claims in the 19th century, they began employing the historical method to test them. And although every conceivable scrap of literary or archeological evidence seems to have been examined, no air-tight historical proof or disproof of these claims has surfaced. '- ‘When you know for yourselves...’ : The Authenticity of the Pali Suttas by Thanissaro BhikkhuRead Thanissaro Bhikkhu's article here ...www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/authenticity.html - Posted by CFFong