Kalama Sutra: Citizens’ Participation for Vaccination Against COVID-19

Abstract

This academic article entitled ‘Kālāmasutta: Citizens Participation in Vaccination Against COVID-19’ focusses on the reasoning thought in Kālāmasutta encouraging people to receive Vaccination. Kālāmasutta signifies essentially a practical code to overcome all doubts by not allow easy belief through 10 forms; 1) having listened from others, 2) traditional belief, 3) hearsay, 4) referring to authority of texts, 5) mere logic, 6) prediction through inference, 7) considering appearances, 8) the agreement with a considered opinion, 9) seeming possibilities, and 10) the idea ‘This is our teacher.’ These ten forms of belief can help people in a modern society with faster communication learning and applying cause and effect. Thus, Kālāmasutta can urge public participation of the COVID-19 vaccination with reasons. People will receive information of COVID-19 vaccination understanding whether it is good or bad to have COVID-19 vaccination because they had heard the news or communicative medias and in various societies which cause public confusion. The teaching found in Kālāmasutta, establishes the basic consideration for decision making with mindfulness and awareness before believing, analysis of information based on cause and effect, applying wisdom with systematic thought, not being led by any perceived information without clear understanding and wisdom. Thai people are strongly advised to apply the principal teaching in Kālāmasutta for the public participation of the COVID-19 vaccination and to encourage the right faith in order to strengthen the people for understanding media and information and leading common people with the right opinions on vaccination.