Abstract
In this article I look at the Buddha's refusal to answer certain questions in light of the dynamics of ancient Indian debate. Doing so foregrounds a dimension of the Buddha's interaction with his interlocutors that is central for understanding the problem of what are known as the Undetermined or Unanswered (avyākata) Questions: namely, the Buddha's knowledge and authority vis-à-vis rival teachers.
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Abbreviations
- A.:
-
Aṅguttara Nikāya
- AA.:
-
Aṅguttara Nikāya Aṭṭhakathā (Manorathapūraṇī)
- BAU:
-
Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad
- D.:
-
Dīgha Nikāya
- DA.:
-
Dīgha Nikāya Aṭṭhakathā (Sumaṅgalavilāsinī)
- S.:
-
Saṃyutta Nikāya
- M.:
-
Majjhima Nikāya
- Ud.:
-
Udāna
- UdA.:
-
Udāna Aṭṭhakathā (Paramatthadīpanī)
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Nicholson, H. The Unanswered Questions and the Limits of Knowledge. J Indian Philos 40, 533–552 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10781-012-9165-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10781-012-9165-0