Im searching for a sutta about the Buddha teaching that we shouldn’t make judgements about others kamma because we can know that we’ve surely been in their position throughout Samsara. Can anyone please help? 
1 Like
SN15.11
At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī.“Mendicants, transmigration has no known beginning.
No first point is found of sentient beings roaming and transmigrating, shrouded by ignorance and fettered by craving.
When you see someone in a sorry state, in distress, you should conclude:
‘In all this long time, we too have undergone the same thing.’
Why is that? Transmigration has no known beginning. …
This is quite enough for you to become disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed regarding all conditions.”
9 Likes
36 minutes from Q to A… could it be a new SuttaCentral HumanSearch record?? 
You could also check out the CIPS for judging: https://index.readingfaithfully.org/#judging There are a few different entries.
1 Like
AN 6.44 is probably not the one you’re looking for, but its teaching strongly aligns with your request. I added the bold for emphasis.
I think it’s a very important teaching. The Lord Buddha is clearly teaching us a few things here.
- Don’t judge others like Migasala judged Isidatta and Purana.
- Judging others like this will cause you suffering.
- You should only judge others if you are qualified to do so. Only the Lord Buddha or someone like Him is qualified to judge someone’s destination after death.
From this, I think we can infer a general rule: don’t judge others unwisely. How often do we judge a person’s entire character based upon seeing just a few actions from them for a short time? Someone cuts you off in traffic and based on that single incident you get angry and think, “What a terrible person!” I know my mind has a tendency to do this, and I see the suffering that arises as a result.
Then Venerable Ānanda robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, went to the home of the laywoman Migasālā, where he sat on the seat spread out.
Then the laywoman Migasālā went up to Ānanda, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him, “Honorable Ānanda, how on earth are we supposed to understand the teaching taught by the Buddha, when the chaste and the unchaste are both reborn in exactly the same place in the next life?
My father Purāṇa was celibate, set apart, avoiding the vulgar act of sex. When he passed away the Buddha declared that, since he was a once-returner, he was reborn in the host of joyful gods.
But my uncle Isidatta was not celibate; he lived content with his wife. When he passed away the Buddha declared that, since he was also a once-returner, he was reborn in the host of joyful gods.
How on earth are we supposed to understand the teaching taught by the Buddha, when the chaste and the unchaste are both reborn in exactly the same place in the next life?”
“You’re right, sister, but that’s how the Buddha declared it.”
Then Ānanda, after receiving almsfood at Migasālā’s home, rose from his seat and left. Then after the meal, on his return from almsround, Ānanda went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened.
“Ānanda, who is this laywoman Migasālā, a foolish incompetent aunty, with an aunty’s wit? And who is it that knows how to assess individuals? These six people are found in the world. What six?
Take a certain person who is sweet-natured and pleasant to be with. And spiritual companions enjoy living together with them. And they’ve not listened or learned or comprehended theoretically or found even temporary freedom. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re headed for a lower place, not a higher. They’re going to a lower place, not a higher.
Take another person who is sweet-natured and pleasant to be with. And spiritual companions enjoy living together with them. And they’ve listened and learned and comprehended theoretically and found temporary freedom. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re headed for a higher place, not a lower. They’re going to a higher place, not a lower.
Judgmental people compare them, saying: ‘This one has just the same qualities as the other, so why is one worse and one better?’ This will be for their lasting harm and suffering.
In this case, the person who is sweet-natured … and has listened, learned, comprehended theoretically, and found temporary freedom is better and finer than the other person. Why is that? Because the stream of the teaching carries them along. But who knows the difference between them except a Realized One?
So, Ānanda, don’t be judgmental about people. Don’t pass judgment on people. Those who pass judgment on people harm themselves. I, or someone like me, may pass judgment on people.
Take another person who is angry and conceited, and from time to time has greedy thoughts. And they’ve not listened or learned or comprehended theoretically or found even temporary freedom. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re headed for a lower place, not a higher. They’re going to a lower place, not a higher.
Take another person who is angry and conceited, and from time to time has greedy thoughts. … Because the stream of the teaching carries them along. … When their body breaks up, after death, they’re headed for a higher place, not a lower. They’re going to a higher place, not a lower.
Judgmental people compare them …
I, or someone like me, may pass judgment on people.
Take another person who is angry and conceited, and from time to time has the impulse to speak inappropriately. And they’ve not listened or learned or comprehended theoretically or found even temporary freedom. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re headed for a lower place, not a higher. They’re going to a lower place, not a higher.
Take another person who is angry and conceited, and from time to time has the impulse to speak inappropriately. But they’ve listened and learned and comprehended theoretically and found temporary freedom. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re headed for a higher place, not a lower. They’re going to a higher place, not a lower.
Judgmental people compare them, saying: ‘This one has just the same qualities as the other, so why is one worse and one better?’ This will be for their lasting harm and suffering.
In this case, the person who is angry and conceited, but has listened, learned, comprehended theoretically, and found temporary freedom is better and finer than the other person. Why is that? Because the stream of the teaching carries them along. But who knows the difference between them except a Realized One?
So, Ānanda, don’t be judgmental about people. Don’t pass judgment on people. Those who pass judgment on people harm themselves. I, or someone like me, may pass judgment on people.
Who is this laywoman Migasālā, a foolish incompetent aunty, with an aunty’s wit? And who is it that knows how to assess individuals? These six people are found in the world.
If Isidatta had achieved Purāṇa’s level of ethical conduct, Purāṇa could not have even known Isidatta’s destination. And if Purāṇa had achieved Isidatta’s level of wisdom, Isidatta could not have even known Purāṇa’s destination. So both individuals were lacking in one respect.”
1 Like
Thank you, I believe that is the one I was looking for. For some reason I thought I remembered reading a sutta where someone judges another for being poor (or something of that sort) and the Buddha responds more explicitly that we shouldn’t judge because we know that we’ve been in their position before. I may just be making that up though 
@Mkoll Thank you, I don’t think that’s the sutta I was looking for but it is a good teaching. What does the Buddha mean by “having found temporary freedom?” Does it mean taking refuge in the triple gem?
1 Like
Probably means jhāna
1 Like
I was thinking that could be a possibility as well. Why would jhana be a prerequisite to going into a higher realm if the person’s actions are otherwise good natured (ie done with some degree of right intention)? There are other suttas where the Buddha talks more explicitly about how those who are generous and have good sila will be reborn in a heavenly realm. I guess this sutta is about not judging though, so maybe it’s hard to generalize what will happen when someone dies.
Does the sutta say that it is?
Exactly. The point here seems to be that you can’t tell just by looking at someone where they are going to be reborn or whether they have jhāna. So you should be a bit circumspect about judging them.
1 Like
I guess it doesn’t explicitly say that, and to be fair it does also say that they haven’t listened or comprehended the Dharma at all so they probably have a lot of defilements and bad actions even if they are generally good natured. I guess I passed judgement too quickly thanks for your help
1 Like
Like Venerable Khemarato said, I think it means jhana as well.