Talk:The unanswerable questions

Comparisons to other Philosophies

Perhaps some mention of Kant's concept of antinomy in the Critique of Pure Reason belongs somewhere here, since it seems to share some intellectual paralells?Wilhelm Ritter 16:06, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

I moved the section on possible answers here, it seems to me this is just someone's collection of scientific theories, and then putting the term buddhist perspective there, while the buddha's perspective was quite clear (not answered).

Further, one could write an opposite answer (to the one given below) to those questions also, and then it would become too confusing, not taking a stand anywhere but giving all possible answers. This page is not for filosophizing, or trying to claim we know the answer to these questions now, when we do not and many different answers can be given, underscoring their unanswerability. Basically, the whole section is not just good enough. Greetings, Sacca 06:09, 29 August 2006 (UTC)

Possible Answers from a Buddhist Perspective

Although the Buddha did not answer the fourteen questions, through reasoning with common sense combined with findings from modern science, it is possible to provide a reasonably sound answer for the above questions.

Is the world eternal? Buddha taught that with existence one of the key points is that it is impermanent. So the answer to this is no. In the context of whether the world or the planet Earth can remain eternal in space, we can also say this is neither. Why? To answer this question let us consider the Sun. We have known after some time through modern science, stars like our own Sun within the universe will eventually either die out and crystalise forming a large diamond, or possibly explode and destroy itself in the process. In the context of considering whether another world like Earth will exist again one day if it was destroyed, one could consider the Expanding Universe theory. If the universe is expanding, then common sense would suggest at some point it may contract, and everything within it implode. Whether this theory holds true remains to be seen for possibly billions of years, but it is certainly a fundamental question that is yet to be answered both by religion and science.

With regards as to whether the Tathagata exists after death the answer is quite possibly yes. If it is Tathagata the teaching, it certainly will remain true regardless of what realm one appears in, because the laws of truth will apply to all realms. We now know in modern science through findings from String Theory that it is quite possible other 'universes' or multi-verse dimensions can exist within the same area of space. If this is the case, we are looking at quite possibly multitudes of other planes or dimensions of existence. However at the same time in Buddhist teachings it is said the Tathagata only exists if ignorance exists in the world. If ignorance is extinguished, so does the Tathagata.

With regards to the last question whether the self is identified with the body or different, one can answer it through mental deduction. Modern Buddhism teaches that it is through formation of the five senses - sense, sight, smell, taste, and touch, and the five skandhas of form, perception, mental formation and consciousness that existence, craving and ignorance arises out from. If in the context that the self is also the body, then the self will be destroyed if it is part of the body at death. But we know that the Buddha taught that there is reincarnation and that reincarnation can occur in different bodies. In this sense the answer therefore must be no. The self must be independent and so is not part of the body.

In the context of the above question as to whether the wholesome and unwholesome karmas committed by the body cannot affect the self, this is debateable because Buddhism teaches one to create wholesome actions and the following of certain precepts to avoid the creation of certain karmic conditions that are negative for the self (or soul). One can take a Buddhist viewpoint of reincarnation. Consider the fate of an animal like a normal cow. Apart from coming into existence and providing milk to those who wish to nourish from it, the cow, unlike humans - cannot communicate to another cow or being exactly what it wants. It can only do a few things. Eat, drink, walk, care for its young, defecate and copulate. Although it is intelligent it cannot speak as humans do, nor does it have the freedom to act or think freely like humans do. In fact being a cow is worse because one cannot say no if one wants to have its life taken away and have it slaughtered.

Although cows are probably a lame example in the context of a body causing unwholesome karma because it is a herbivore, there is a case for karmic consequences amongst carnivorous animals like those of say a lion or a tiger. Through the need to support their own bodies, they have to kill another animal and/or sentient being in order to eat and survive. In this sense (from a Buddhist viewpoint), unwholesome karmas are created by the body (in this case an animal) which can affect the self (or soul) of that creature.

This is why most Buddhists tend to view animals as being in very unfortunate circumstances, compared to humans because they are mostly within a perpetual state of suffering within each cycle of existence or reincarnation. Most animals have to kill in order to eat and survive, but doing so also means they have created a karmic result for themselves, which may add on top of what they have done previously. For them reincarnation is very hard to get out of.

Within some Buddhist circles, the viewpoint of karma is that it is a very powerful force, much like the gravitational pull of the Earth. The Earth stays in its place because gravity holds it in place. Likewise sentient beings within reincarnation stays in their place by the force of their karmic actions. A good analogy is that of a washing machine at spin. When a washing machine spins, any form of clothing is pulled down by the force of gravity pulling on the drum, and nothing can get out of it. Only good wholesome deeds and practice are the key to breaking the bond of karma and reincarnation. There is a popular saying in Buddhism 'To know what your previous life was like, look at the state of your life now. To know what your next life will be like, start practising now'.

The fundamental question for all Buddhists and non-Buddhists is, 'Can one break the bond of reincarnation?' or rather 'Can one control one's birth and death?'. If one can control their own state of birth and death, and comes and goes as one wishes, one is considered a Buddha. If one cannot, one is not a Buddha, but a mere sentient being. As the Buddha said, the difference between a Buddha and a sentient being are very minor.

This is why Buddha's teachings are so important, even for a practitioner today. It teaches qualities that are relevant for the betterment of mankind, and respect for all other forms of life.