Pañha Sutta: Questions

AN 4.42

translated from the Pali by

Thanissaro Bhikkhu

"There are these four ways of answering questions. Which four? There are questions that should be answered categorically [straightforwardly yes, no, this, that]. There are questions that should be answered with an analytical (qualified) answer [defining or redefining the terms]. There are questions that should be answered with a counter-question. There are questions that should be put aside. These are the four ways of answering questions."

First the categorical answer, then the qualified, third, the type to be counter-questioned, & fourth, the one to be set aside. Any monk who knows which is which, in line with the Dhamma, is said to be skilled in the four types of questions: hard to overcome, hard to beat, profound, hard to defeat. He knows what's worthwhile & what's not, proficient in (recognizing) both, he rejects the worthless, grasps the worthwhile. He's called one who has broken through to what's worthwhile, prudent, wise.

See also: MN 58 ; MN 72 ; suttas in the Avyakata Samyutta ; AN 3.67 ; AN 3.78 ; AN 5.165 ; AN 10.96

The text of this page ("Pañha Sutta: Questions", by Thanissaro Bhikkhu) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License . To view a copy of the license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ . Documents linked from this page may be subject to other restrictions. Transcribed from a file provided by the translator. Last revised for Access to Insight on 3 July 2010.

How to cite this document (a suggested style): "Pañha Sutta: Questions" (AN 4.42), translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to Insight (BCBS Edition) , 3 July 2010, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an04/an04.042.than.html .