The Buddha did not answer metaphysical questions.

 

In the Buddhist scriptures, there are many cases where the Buddha kept silent before a question of pagan or illiterate pagans. The Buddha saw clearly that those who asked such questions either did not understand themselves, or were merely trying to show off their knowledge through imagery or speculation; And if the answer is limited then the language can not explain all the knowledge of the Buddha. So the Buddha was silent.

Sutra teaches that one day a pagan Vacchagotta came to the Buddha and said, "Gotama, do not you?" The Buddha was silent, not answering. "So, Venerable Gotama, do not fall (1)?" The Buddha remained silent. At the time of the Buddha, pagans like Vacchagotta were not a little, as they discussed the often problematic mysteries to argue. Debate issues often revolve around the following ten topics:

Related to the universe:

1. The eternal universe? 
2. The universe is not eternal? 
3- The finite universe? 
4. Infinite Universe?

Related to Psychology:

5 - Body and mind is a homogeneous object? 
Body is an object and mind is an object?

Concerning the realm of realization of the Buddha:

7- After death Buddha exist? 
8- After death Buddha does not exist? 
9- After death Buddha just existed and did not exist? 
10- After death the Buddha just does not exist and does not exist?

The Buddha taught that such questions are purely based on general abstractions, so there is no answer: He says they are obscured by no meaning or no headache. end of them. Why did not the Buddha answer the above questions? First of all, because these issues are not related to the teachings of the Buddha. Early Buddhism, the Buddha often emphasized the cultivation of the wisdom and emphasized the doctrine of suffering, impermanence, selflessness. These dhammas are meant to help people understand the suffering and the means of eliminating suffering. Our most urgent task is to eradicate suffering, so the Buddha explains these dhammas to benefit one's cultivation. , make everyone cupped, except accepting self, calm, attain enlightenment enlightenment. And the mystery, There are four issues related to the universe, whether finite or infinite, eternal or eternal, which are of no benefit to the liberation of human suffering. The Buddha taught that:

"This Vaccha, think that the world is impermanent ... the world is ordinary ... the boundless world ... the world is the righteous ... the life and the body are a ... the life and the body are the other ..." when death ... Such hybrid does not exist after death ... Vaccha, think that Tathagata does not exist and does not exist after death, such as wrong view, forest, wilderness, with devastation, with the brain, with the heat of the brain, not towards the cup, the glass of desire, the destruction, calm, victory, enlightenment, Nirvana. Hey, Vaccha, I see this danger that we do not fully accept such knowledge (2)? "

The next two issues of the physical and psychological body of man, whether homogeneous or not, are also subject to impermanence, disintegration, suffering, samsara, according to the Buddha. All the dharmas are non-self, the doctrine of the selflessness of the Buddha is super-fine, whether the matter of the body and mind of the pagan unified or different can not be ingested with the doctrine of the five selfless aggregates. Buddha. The problems are not fully covered in their source. Next to the problems related to the Buddha's attained enlightenment, he realized the Buddha, the realm of his attainment is the Buddha, thanks to the practice of realization. This world for ordinary people is incomprehensible, no matter how the Buddha uses any language or expression does not help the listener understands. So, The above issues are not related to the teachings of the Buddha, not related to the spiritual practice, they are not useful for the practice of mind and body attain enlightenment as the Buddha. Therefore, when someone asks about issues related to such situations, the Buddha is silent.

Second, mystical problems will lead us into delusion, making us lose direction. To the Buddha, all debates do not benefit the study and clarify right view are all meaningless discussion, let alone lead to the affliction brought concern, not satisfied with the question raised and the more Makes people confused.

At the time of the Buddha, there was a monk named Malunkya, one day at noon, sitting meditating, standing up to the venerable Buddha, after paying homage to the Buddha. Sitting to the side, said:

"Lord, I am meditating alone, suddenly arise a thought, there are ten problems that have not explained to us for a long time. Whenever we ask Him about these matters, He is silent. I feel unhappy when he does. Lord Buddha, today if he explained the above ten issues, then I continue to live life religious practice; If he remained silent then I lost all faith not continue to practice again. If the world knows that this world is eternal, please tell me it is clear. If this world is not eternal, then what is the reason? If you do not know about these matters, do not know directly. "(3)

Buddha taught:

"I'm so crazy! Was not it understandable that you were going to leave the house when you followed me? I promise to tell you these things? " Man Deng Zi replied, "White Buddha, no," the Buddha said: "So I have not answered Tathagata then I was dead. Hey Dong Tu, if someone was hit by a poisoned wounded, relatives of this man wanted to spit out the arrow and sent to the doctor, but the other did not want the family to spit out arrows unless you know who shot this name. The arrow-shooters belong to the patriarchal clan, Ba-la-subjects, Vaisali, or the Dalai Lama. He is tall, low, or medium, his skin brown, black or gold; what is the village hamlet? I do not want to pull out the arrow unless I know what kind of bow I hit, what bow I made, what type of name looks like, What kind of stuff ... Hey Dong Tu; The person who has not known the answer is dead, as well as the person who wants to know whether the universe is eternal or eternal and related issues, the other is not yet answered by the Tale of the dead. Likewise, if someone asks, I do not follow the Blessed One, unless he answers me for what the universe is eternal or not, the other is not answered by the Tathagata is dead. " "For a short life, if anyone has these problems, but all day long affliction, persistence not to discharge, to seek to the source, more and more into the maze, in the end not come out" ( 4). The other person has not been answered as the answer is dead. Likewise, if someone asks, I do not follow the Blessed One, unless he answers me for what the universe is eternal or not, the other is not answered by the Tathagata is dead. " "For a short life, if anyone has these problems, but all day long affliction, persistence not to discharge, to seek to the source, more and more into the maze, in the end not come out" ( 4). The other person has not been answered as the answer is dead. Likewise, if someone asks, I do not follow the Blessed One, unless he answers me for what the universe is eternal or not, the other is not answered by the Tathagata is dead. " "For a short life, if anyone has these problems, but all day long affliction, persistence not to discharge, to seek to the source, more and more into the maze, in the end not come out" ( 4).

One of the educational meanings here is that unnecessary demands can prove to be damaging to the mind. For the discourse on the Buddha completely ignored.

Moreover, because the language is limited, ordinary people can not pass the language to understand or express all the problems. The language of creativity is used to express the experiences, experiences and thoughts that we experience through phenomena and things. Language is a signal to express our perception of things and our ideas, it is the means to express our understanding but not beyond the limits of time and space. In other words, people only express things and ideas in the sphere of time and space; Even the language of man is not enough to express the reality in everyday life. Perhaps everyone has experienced the feelings that take place in their minds and can not find the language to express. Therefore, It is possible to see that the human language is not a means of expression, it has its finality, it can not express the truth, and it can completely misrepresent it. through cognition. Because absolute truth (such as Nirvana) transcends time, space, and the limited law of inheritance: man has only the practice to attain the attainment of experience, but can not use language to describe or not use ordinary opinion to deduce. Here the Zen language is called poetic language. In fact, such issues can not be permanently passed through literal language to the full extent desired, nor is there any kind of language to express such kind of experience. As the story of Turtles and Fish in Buddhist tale, Turtles tell the fish to listen to the world on the land, hard, can not swim, can just walk. But fish can not understand, insist on terrestrial environment similar to the water environment, can swim, jump. Just as our normal language can not describe the state of Nirvana. Even with the use of high-level pens, the language of the phrase, the words of the high-cost also cost useless, can not find the appropriate language to lecture the realm of Nirvana. So the verse in the text is bound. Just as the Mausoleum taught the ignorant people to accept the letter as the elephant mired not escape. The words, the high words are also devalued in vain, can not find the appropriate language to lecture the realm of Nirvana. So the verse in the text is bound. Just as the Mausoleum taught the ignorant people to accept the letter as the elephant mired not escape. The words, the high words are also devalued in vain, can not find the appropriate language to lecture the realm of Nirvana. So the verse in the text is bound. Just as the Mausoleum taught the ignorant people to accept the letter as the elephant mired not escape.

Finally, the Buddha, according to the teachings of the Buddha, did not use any mystical means to preach, nor responded by exposing knowledge, but with compassion and wisdom, he paid attention to the practice. Educate beings, take them out of enchantment, help the questioner go to the right path. At the sermon, the Buddha, depending on the degree, examination of the level, the basis, personality and ability of the object to hear the French to lead teaching.

In the context of answering questions posed to the Buddha, we see that the Buddha used the following four forms to answer:

Firstly, the world of forums is a standard based on perceptions that are well suited to the lives of people in this world to say, though not absolute.

Secondly, the person who is in the highest position is the man who says so, in accordance with the way, thought, consciousness and culture of man so it is up to him to speak the Dharma.

- Third, all subjects: depending on the perception of sentient beings, the Buddha specifically told them the dharma to make them reflect.

Fourth is the first meaning of the forum: is to say the absolute standard of truth, truth, whether people do not understand the reverse is not wrong.

In addition, before all the mysteries, the Buddha always kept silent than any rhetoric. With compassion and wisdom, the Buddha remained silent but still caring for the victims, rescued from the bereavement scene when they saw enough charm.

There are many Buddhist scholarly books that try to explain the Buddha's silence, trying to figure out whether the Buddha has interpreted these mystic questions. We do not even need a conclusion. But we have one thing that can confirm that the Buddha knows more than the Buddha said. In the classic notes, one day the Buddha took a handful of leaves in his hand and asked his disciples:

"Monks, in my hand many leaves or in the forest of leaves?" The monks replied: "Lord Buddha, leaf in the hands of the Buddha is very little compared to that in the forest," the Buddha said: "Also, the method that Hybrid witness as leaf in the forest, Tathagata said to you like leaves in this fist, only a little, the Dharma that Tathagata said is very finite. But why do not they all say? Because they are not useful, do not guide everyone to attain Niette. That is the reason that Tathagata does not say all these things (5).

So these things are not known to the Buddha, but because the Buddha saw the limitations of language, it was impossible to use ordinary language to express a transcendental realm.

The Great Dependent Commentary and Commentary have mentioned 14 cases known as 14 victims 6, similar to the above metaphysical problems, said the Buddha did not answer. The cause is:

1 - These problems are not lost;

2 - The law does not 'normal' nor 'eliminates';

3 - These questions only lead to arguments, meaningless discussion, not useful for progressive practice. Therefore, the Buddha did not reply.

In short, the Buddha always kept silent about metaphysical or mystical problems that always elevated the spirit of reality. So in Buddhism for metaphysical problems it is not impossible to study. But too much of the mystical orthodoxy will add more affliction and lead to no escape because of their confusion. Therefore, in the process of researching Buddhism or explaining to others, we should learn Buddhism according to the Buddha, combining the various elements of the present and the needs of modern society to explain how to understand, Applying Buddhism to daily life, limiting debate on metaphysical issues to flair knowledge without any result. To do otherwise, we waste only time arguing day after day.END=NAM MO SAKYAMUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).VIETNAMESE TRANSLATE ENGLISH BY=THICH CHAN TANH.THE MIND OF ENLIGHTENMENT.VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=GOLDEN LOTUS MONASTERY=AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.4/7/2018.