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The Unanswered Questions and the Limits of Knowledge

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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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