Practising alongside another faith
When Upāli, a prominent follower of another teacher, asked to become the Buddha's disciple, he was told to think it over carefully. When he went for refuge anyway, he was told to keep giving to the teachers his family had always supported; no demand was made that he cut them off. The Kālāmas were told to judge teachings by their fruit in their own lives, not by who taught them. The suttas are not relativist, and they do not describe belonging to two religions; they argue for what they hold to be true. How to hold two traditions honestly is a question for you and for the teachers of both, and the canon's advice on speech applies to the conversation with your pastor.
What the suttas say
When that noble disciple has a mind that’s free of enmity and ill will, uncorrupted and purified, they’ve won four consolations in this very life. ‘If it turns out there is another world, and good and bad deeds have a result, then—when the body breaks up, after death—I’ll be reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.’ This is the first consolation they’ve won. ‘If it turns out there is no other world, and good and bad deeds don’t have a result, then in this very life I’ll keep myself free of enmity and ill will, untroubled and happy.’ This is the second consolation they’ve won. ‘If it turns out that bad things happen to people who do bad things, then since I have no bad intentions, and since I’m not doing anything bad, how can suffering touch me?’ This is the third consolation they’ve won. ‘If it turns out that bad things don’t happen to people who do bad things, then I still see myself pure on both sides.’ This is the fourth consolation they’ve won.
The Kālāmas, confused by rival teachers, are shown a way of living that holds whether or not there is another world — an answer that also serves someone unsure about rebirth.
Where this stops: The four assurances are for a person who has already let go of hatred and malice; they do not argue that the teaching can do without rebirth.
AN 3.65:43.1–46.1 · With the Kālāmas of Kesamutta
Sa kho so, kālāmā, ariyasāvako evaṁ averacitto evaṁ abyāpajjhacitto evaṁ asaṅkiliṭṭhacitto evaṁ visuddhacitto. Tassa diṭṭheva dhamme cattāro assāsā adhigatā honti. ‘Sace kho pana atthi paro loko, atthi sukatadukkaṭānaṁ kammānaṁ phalaṁ vipāko, athāhaṁ kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjissāmī’ti, ayamassa paṭhamo assāso adhigato hoti. ‘Sace kho pana natthi paro loko, natthi sukatadukkaṭānaṁ kammānaṁ phalaṁ vipāko, athāhaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme averaṁ abyāpajjhaṁ anīghaṁ sukhiṁ attānaṁ pariharāmī’ti, ayamassa dutiyo assāso adhigato hoti. ‘Sace kho pana karoto karīyati pāpaṁ, na kho panāhaṁ kassaci pāpaṁ cetemi. Akarontaṁ kho pana maṁ pāpakammaṁ kuto dukkhaṁ phusissatī’ti, ayamassa tatiyo assāso adhigato hoti. ‘Sace kho pana karoto na karīyati pāpaṁ, athāhaṁ ubhayeneva visuddhaṁ attānaṁ samanupassāmī’ti, ayamassa catuttho assāso adhigato hoti.
don’t go by oral transmission, don’t go by lineage, don’t go by testament, don’t go by canonical authority, don’t rely on logic, don’t rely on inference, don’t go by reasoned train of thought, don’t go by the acceptance of a view after deliberation, don’t go by the appearance of competence, and don’t think “The ascetic is our respected teacher.” But when you know for yourselves:
The Kālāma discourse — the canon's charter for testing teachings.
Where this stops: It is not permission to believe whatever one likes; it ends with what the wise praise. Never a reason to stay with a teacher who is doing harm.
AN 3.65:25.3–25.4 · With the Kālāmas of Kesamutta
Mā anussavena, mā paramparāya, mā itikirāya, mā piṭakasampadānena, mā takkahetu, mā nayahetu, mā ākāraparivitakkena, mā diṭṭhinijjhānakkhantiyā, mā bhabbarūpatāya, mā samaṇo no garūti. Yadā tumhe kālāmā attanāva jāneyyātha:
“Householder, you should act after careful consideration. It’s good for well-known people such as yourself to act after careful consideration.” “Now I’m even more delighted and satisfied with the Buddha, since he tells me to act after careful consideration. For if the followers of other religions were to gain me as a disciple, they’d carry a banner all over Nāḷandā, saying: ‘The householder Upāli has become our disciple!’ And yet the Buddha says: ‘Householder, you should act after careful consideration. It’s good for well-known people such as yourself to act after careful consideration.’ For a second time, I go for refuge to the Buddha, to the teaching, and to the mendicant Saṅgha. From this day forth, may the Buddha remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.” “For a long time now, householder, your family has been a well-spring of support for the Jain ascetics. You should consider giving to them when they come.”
A prominent follower of another teacher asks to become the Buddha's disciple and is told to think it over; when he goes for refuge, he is told to keep giving to the teachers his family has always supported.
Where this stops: Upāli goes for refuge to the Buddha in this very range, and contrasts the Buddha's caution with how other sects would have paraded a convert like him; what is not required of him is that he stop giving to the Jain ascetics. It is not a claim that all teachings are the same.
MN 56:16.1–17.1 · With Upāli
“Anuviccakāraṁ kho, gahapati, karohi, anuviccakāro tumhādisānaṁ ñātamanussānaṁ sādhu hotī”ti. “Imināpāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavato bhiyyoso mattāya attamano abhiraddho yaṁ maṁ bhagavā evamāha: ‘anuviccakāraṁ kho, gahapati, karohi, anuviccakāro tumhādisānaṁ ñātamanussānaṁ sādhu hotī’ti. Mañhi, bhante, aññatitthiyā sāvakaṁ labhitvā kevalakappaṁ nāḷandaṁ paṭākaṁ parihareyyuṁ: ‘upāli amhākaṁ gahapati sāvakattaṁ upagato’ti. Atha ca pana maṁ bhagavā evamāha: ‘anuviccakāraṁ kho, gahapati, karohi, anuviccakāro tumhādisānaṁ ñātamanussānaṁ sādhu hotī’ti. Esāhaṁ, bhante, dutiyampi bhagavantaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi dhammañca bhikkhusaṅghañca. Upāsakaṁ maṁ bhagavā dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti. “Dīgharattaṁ kho te, gahapati, nigaṇṭhānaṁ opānabhūtaṁ kulaṁ yena nesaṁ upagatānaṁ piṇḍakaṁ dātabbaṁ maññeyyāsī”ti.
A sensible person reflects on this matter in this way: ‘If there is another world, when this individual’s body breaks up, after death, they will be reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm. But let us grant that those who say that there is no other world are correct. Regardless, that individual is still praised by sensible people in this very life as being a moral individual of right view, who affirms a positive teaching.’ So if there really is another world, they hold a winning hand on both counts. For they are praised by sensible people in this very life, and when their body breaks up, after death, they will be reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm. They have rightly undertaken this sure bet teaching in such a way that it encompasses the positive outcomes of both sides, leaving out the unskillful premise.
The sure bet — a way of living that comes out well whether or not there is another world, put to householders with no settled view.
Where this stops: The sutta itself affirms that there actually is another world (11.1); the wager is offered to the undecided, not as a sign that the Buddha was agnostic about it.
MN 60:12.1–12.7 · A Sure Bet
Tatra, gahapatayo, viññū puriso iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘sace kho atthi paro loko, evamayaṁ bhavaṁ purisapuggalo kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjissati. Kāmaṁ kho pana māhu paro loko, hotu nesaṁ bhavataṁ samaṇabrāhmaṇānaṁ saccaṁ vacanaṁ; atha ca panāyaṁ bhavaṁ purisapuggalo diṭṭheva dhamme viññūnaṁ pāsaṁso—sīlavā purisapuggalo sammādiṭṭhi atthikavādo’ti. Sace kho attheva paro loko, evaṁ imassa bhoto purisapuggalassa ubhayattha kaṭaggaho— yañca diṭṭheva dhamme viññūnaṁ pāsaṁso, yañca kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjissati. Evamassāyaṁ apaṇṇako dhammo susamatto samādinno ubhayaṁsaṁ pharitvā tiṭṭhati, riñcati akusalaṁ ṭhānaṁ.
Mendicants, a mendicant who is an inquirer, unable to encompass another’s mind, should scrutinize the Realized One for two things—things that can be seen and heard: ‘Can anything corrupt be seen or heard in the Realized One or not?’ Scrutinizing him they find that nothing corrupt can be seen or heard in the Realized One.
The Buddha's own instructions for scrutinizing a teacher, including himself.
Where this stops: Never a reason to stay with a teacher who is doing harm.
MN 47:4.1–4.4 · The Inquirer
Vīmaṁsakena, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā parassa cetopariyāyaṁ ajānantena dvīsu dhammesu tathāgato samannesitabbo cakkhusotaviññeyyesu dhammesu: ‘ye saṅkiliṭṭhā cakkhusotaviññeyyā dhammā, saṁvijjanti vā te tathāgatassa no vā’ti? Tamenaṁ samannesamāno evaṁ jānāti: ‘ye saṅkiliṭṭhā cakkhusotaviññeyyā dhammā, na te tathāgatassa saṁvijjantī’ti.