Fourteen Unanswerable Questions

[christiaan]

• Is the world eternal in time?
• or not?
• or both?
• or neither?

Pali texts omit "both" and "neither".

The material world is not eternal. The world is a manifestation of spirituality and it has its own life. It is like the human material existence, the earth was created and will die. This world will end its material existence in burning and in far future transform to a new material existence again.

Questions referring to the world: concerning the existence of the world in space

• Is the world finite?
• or not?
• or both?
• or neither?

Pali texts omit "both" and "neither".

The world is finite in space.

Questions referring to personal experience

• Is the self identical with the body?
• or is it different from the body?

Questions referring to life after death

There are two selfs. The higher Self, our I core , a unique spiritual human being reborn in a sequence of several lifes coming to selfawareness by wich it can become aware of the lower self, the self with the material awareness and attachments to material life, the self we call ego.

The higher Self is not identical with the body, the lower self is identical with the body for the time this body is existing. The higher Self is an evolving and as so a changing spiritual reality.

• Does the Tathagata exist after death?
• or not?
• or both?
• or neither?

The Tathagata exists after dead. The Tathagata exist after dead as a spiritual being living in spiritual realms, The Tathagata is continuesly transforming in the spiritual world, a world that is full of spiritual dynamic and spiritual life

Whe have a situation of interdependent origination, this is an interdependent origination within the spiritual existence and within the material existence. Even the material existence and the spiritual existence are of interdependent origination. Being interdependent in both qualities , as spiritual absolute awareness on one side and as material manifestation of this spiritual absolute awarenss on the other side , they are both in constant movement interdependently transforming, creating future.

[khaowong1]

Interesting observations.. where did you find your answers? I personally have found it very difficult to get any answers from most monks, as I believe most monks don't know the answers, and probably don't care..

[christiaan]

Hello Khaowong1

I would say it is in the first place a matter of taking your questions serious and then take care your questions as if they are part of surviving.

Never abandon your questions but take them, care them as if they are little chidren you have to take care for.

In the search for the answers you will make your 'journey' by investigation. Do not limit your self in this. The transformation of Siddharta started with important questions.

Some other persons 'journey' is not your 'journye' so never see this as your way but realise this will and can be an inspiration to go your way.

I am interested in many things so I study and have studied many things. I had a very diverse life before by wich I was blessed to have al kinds of experiences.

I could tell you about the books I read written by many divers people, just to much to recall here.

I read publications of Western philosophers and read all kinds of publications about religions and religious affairs.

I can tell you I was very much impressed by the talks of Krishnamurti , probably because he was no Guru and rejected the idea and practice of followers.

I think Krishnamurti neared the teachings of Buddha in a very modern and creative way and when you ever come in to reading books of Krishnamurti, read at the end the book of Pupul Yajakar.

Maybe some people could start to think Krishnamurti is my source of knowledge, well to prevent this , he is not. I am thankfull I have learned to know him, also in physical experience, and one of my joys regarding this was the fact he did not want to be a Guru and I did and do not like to be a follower.

Khaowong1, today in modern times it is not anymore about being a follower listening to masters and teachers telling a follower what to do and what to think. Today you have to be aware a real teacher is a teacher telling you to develop and how to develop your mental and spiritual faculties so you will be more and more able to experience the truth within a personal experience.

A truth that is not posessed by anyone, that cannot be posessed by someone, a truth that is living and to experience by every human being. And it will in future be experienced by every human being.

A real teacher is a friend, a friend you are equivalent too, a friend that will help you to become your own teacher, your own master, your own priest, your own king.

Just cherish your questions like Buddha did, you have the awareness to do so.

[khaowong1]

Hello Khaowong1

I would say it is in the first place a matter of taking your questions serious and then take care your questions as if they are part of surviving.

Never abandon your questions but take them, care them as if they are little chidren you have to take care for.

In the search for the answers you will make your 'journey' by investigation. Do not limit your self in this. The transformation of Siddharta started with important questions.

Some other persons 'journey' is not your 'journye' so never see this as your way but realise this will and can be an inspiration to go your way.

I am interested in many things so I study and have studied many things. I had a very diverse life before by wich I was blessed to have al kinds of experiences.

I could tell you about the books I read written by many divers people, just to much to recall here.

I read publications of Western philosophers and read all kinds of publications about religions and religious affairs.

I can tell you I was very much impressed by the talks of Krishnamurti , probably because he was no Guru and rejected the idea and practice of followers.

I think Krishnamurti neared the teachings of Buddha in a very modern and creative way and when you ever come in to reading books of Krishnamurti, read at the end the book of Pupul Yajakar.

Maybe some people could start to think Krishnamurti is my source of knowledge, well to prevent this , he is not. I am thankfull I have learned to know him, also in physical experience, and one of my joys regarding this was the fact he did not want to be a Guru and I did and do not like to be a follower.

Khaowong1, today in modern times it is not anymore about being a follower listening to masters and teachers telling a follower what to do and what to think. Today you have to be aware a real teacher is a teacher telling you to develop and how to develop your mental and spiritual faculties so you will be more and more able to experience the truth within a personal experience.

A truth that is not posessed by anyone, that cannot be posessed by someone, a truth that is living and to experience by every human being. And it will in future be experienced by every human being.

A real teacher is a friend, a friend you are equivalent too, a friend that will help you to become your own teacher, your own master, your own priest, your own king.

Just cherish your questions like Buddha did, you have the awareness to do so.

Thanks Christiaan, this is very good advice and seems to be on line with what I also think.. I will read up on Krishna murti and Pupul Yajakar.. Lets talk some more about them..

[christiaan]

Hello Khaowong1

thank you for asking me. You have to follow your intuition. I think it would be very nice to have a conversation about Krishnamurti, in the light of Buddhisme, but we have to be aware this is a forum especially about Buddhism

[rockyysdt]

Today in modern times it is not anymore about being a follower listening to masters and teachers telling a follower what to do and what to think. Today you have to be aware a real teacher is a teacher telling you to develop and how to develop your mental and spiritual faculties so you will be more and more able to experience the truth within a personal experience.

A truth that is not possessed by anyone, that cannot be possessed by someone, a truth that is living and to experience by every human being. And it will in future be experienced by every human being.

Precisely.

Through practice & guidance (dhamma) one can progress towards personal experience.

Quote: A monk has three duties...to study, practice and teach the Dhamma. If he only studies and teaches he is not using practice to confirm the truth of what he has studied and could be passing on.

We have a situation of interdependent origination, this is an interdependent origination within the spiritual existence and within the material existence. Even the material existence and the spiritual existence are of interdependent origination. Being interdependent in both qualities , as spiritual absolute awareness on one side and as material manifestation of this spiritual absolute awareness on the other side , they are both in constant movement interdependently transforming, creating future.

I think this would need some level of personal experience to formulate.

I'd really be interested if you had the source or reference.

Edited August 11, 2010 by rockyysdt

[christiaan]

Rocky,

thank you for your feed-back'

I would formulate your first sentence as follow, convinced that this is what you mean:

Through practice & guidance (dhamma) one can progress by personal experience from (self )- awareness to high awareness and by this the experience(s) of enlightment.

If I would formulate the duties of a Buddhist, (not especially a Buddhist munk) I would say:

study, practice, teach the Dhamma and living love in daily live.

You have a difficult question for me with regard to the source of reference.

I do not know where you can read or find this text, I was inspired to write it by my study and practice and living daily life.

As I wrote before I studied many things and practiced in my way (30 years by now) and at the moment Georg Kuhlewind is my inspiration since he can summarize many things in an essential way.

Reading Georg Kuhlewind I think you could recognise in some way the essence of this text.

It is part of the world of awareness, and awareness is what we all share together.

It is not possesed by anyone exclusively.