The unanswered questions


In Buddhism, unanswered questions or undeclared questions are a set of common philosophical questions that Buddha refused to answer, according to Buddhist texts. The Pali texts give only ten, the Sanskrit texts fourteen questions.

Fourteen questions

1. Is the world eternal?
2....or not?
3....or both?
4....or neither?
5. Is the world finite?
6....or not?
7....or both?
8....or neither?
9. Is the self identical with the body?
10....or is it different from the body?
11. Does the Tathagata exist after death?
12....or not?
13....or both?
14....or neither?

Pali Canon

63 and 72 in the Pali Canon contain a list of ten unanswered questions about certain views :
  1. The world is eternal.
  2. The world is not eternal.
  3. The world is infinite.
  4. The world is not infinite.
  5. The being imbued with a life force is identical with the body.
  6. The being imbued with a life force is not identical with the body.
  7. The Tathagata exists after death.
  8. The Tathagata does not exist after death.
  9. The Tathagata both exists and does not exist after death.
  10. The Tathagata neither exists nor does not exist after death.

    Sabbasava-Sutta

The Sabbasava Sutta also mentions 16 questions which are seen as "unwise reflection" and lead to attachment to views relating to a self.
  1. What am I?
  2. How am I?
  3. Am I?
  4. Am I not?
  5. Did I exist in the past?
  6. Did I not exist in the past?
  7. What was I in the past?
  8. How was I in the past?
  9. Having been what, did I become what in the past?
  10. Shall I exist in future?
  11. Shall I not exist in future?
  12. What shall I be in future?
  13. How shall I be in future?
  14. Having been what, shall I become what in future?
  15. Whence came this person?
  16. Whither will he go?
The Buddha states that it is unwise to be attached to both views of having and perceiving a self and views about not having a self. Any view which sees the self as "permanent, stable, everlasting, unchanging, remaining the same for ever and ever" is "becoming enmeshed in views, a jungle of views, a wilderness of views; scuffling in views, the agitation of views, the fetter of views."