Note: This post is a follow-up from the previous post Doubt and Wrong-View.
Raising questions about the Dhamma regarding matter which is not clear or which one is not certain about, with the purpose of seeking clarification, should not be construed as doubt (vicikicchā) or wrong-view (micchā-diṭṭhi). The Buddha’s teaching is not some unquestionable dogma that must be accepted by it’s devotees without question. There is room for “healthy doubt” in the Buddha’s teaching. This is not the same as the doubt which constitute one of the hindrances to the practice of meditation nor has the questioner fallen into wrong-view. He simply wants to know the truth.
Unlike one who is overcome by doubt, whose mind is wavering, unsteady, confused, and not clear, or one who had fallen into wrong-view, who has misapprehended realities and insists on his misapprehension as the truth, closing his mind to realities, this genuine questioner still maintains a clarity, steadiness and openness of mind. You can see this from the questions that he put forth which is usually sharp, clear, intelligent, relevant and designed to go straight to the heart of the matter to uncover its true meaning.
The questioner in this case is not uncertain, or indecisive. His mind is not wavering nor is it totally close to reasonable explanation. He simply has not seen the matter with enough clarity yet in order to come to a decision. So his purpose of asking the questions is simply to seek more clarification in order to help him arrive at the truth. He is certain of what he wants: more clarification to arrive at the truth.
Such reasonable line of questioning should not be construed as doubt or wrong-view. It is actually more of an exercise in investigation of truth and is therefore acceptable and is infact encouraged. In the commentary to Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta, in its discussion about investigation of Dhamma as an enlightenment-factor (Dhammavicayasambojjhaṅga), there is a list of seven things that leads to the arising of this particular enlightenment-factor, which is actually an aspect of wisdom. And the first one is to ask questions. So if we are to develop wisdom we must approach wise-people, those who are learned and skilled in the Dhamma, and ask them questions, relevant questions, about the Dhamma, questions that will reveal the true meaning of the Dhamma. This is the first and most fundamental step in the process of acquiring wisdom. When we ask question from wise-people, not only do we learn new things which we have not yet know, but we also enhance further our understanding of things which we already know.
In Pañhapucchā-Sutta (Discourse on Asking Questions, Aṅguttara-Nikāya, the Book of the Fives, Sutta 165) Ven. Sāriputta gave five reasons why a person ask question:
One asks a question:
- Out of slow-wittedness and bewilderment
- With evil desire, being oppressed by desire
- With contempt
- Desiring right knowledge
- Thinking “When questioned by me, if he were to answer properly that is good, otherwise I will answer properly.”
Out of these five reasons, with regards to the first one: Sometimes a person can be a little slow-witted and may be unable to grasp a certain matter relating to the Dhamma. This may give rise to doubt and uncertainty regarding the matter, which can in turn lead to bewilderment. In order to rid himself of this bewilderment, which is not a pleasant state of mind to be in, he asks a question. But due to his slow-wittedness, bewilderment and confusion the question he asks is usually confused and muddled, reflecting his state of mind. When being asked such a question, a teacher must exercise patience and have compassion for the questioner. He must endeavor to try to understand the question, as confused as it is. He must try to unravel the question and see where the confusion lies and then explain the matter to the questioner in a way that can help him to be rid of his confusion and to understand the matter clearly.
The second and the third reasons for asking a question should be avoided altogether by one who practices the Dhamma. These include asking question of a teacher in order to expose the incompetency which one has perceived, whether rightly or wrongly, in the teacher, to others, with the purpose of ruining the teacher's reputation. It also includes contemptuously asking a question of a teacher to challenge him regarding a matter that one do not agree with, or simply because one look down on the teacher's wisdom and wish to make known to the world one's own self-perceived superior wisdom.
As one who practice the Dhamma we must always show proper respect to our teachers even when we do not agree with them. There are always proper and respectful ways of approaching matters where there is disagreement. And we must at all times have the humility to consider that it is possible that our teachers, with all their knowledge and experience, knows something more than we do, and that we, with our limited knowledge and experience, have not seen everything, have not considered all possibilities, have not seen the whole picture yet. And so we must remain open and humble. If we have the attitude of openness, humility and respectfulness then our teachers would be willing to teach us more. But if we are arrogant, proud, and contemptuous, even the most compassionate teacher may not be able to teach us. We will then be like the proverbial cup that is already filled to the brim, unable to take in more.
The fourth reason for asking question is of course highly encouraged. It is the way of the true seeker of Dhamma to always incline his mind towards right knowledge. A person who asks a question out of desire for right knowledge is, unlike the person who asks a question out of slow-wittedness and bewilderment, usually an intelligent and clear minded person. His question is usually sharp, clear, intelligent, relevant, and to the point. In asking question he does not seek to display his own wisdom or to belittle others’ intelligence but only to seek clarification in order to arrive at the truth of the matter.
The fifth reason for asking a question is the way of wise and compassionate teacher like Ven. Sāriputta himself who has the highest regard for Dhamma and wishes his students and others to have a proper understanding of it. He asks them a question in order to see if they had understood the matter properly. If they have not then he will explain it to them properly and make them understand. The purpose of asking question in this way is not out of desire to display one's own knowledge, to belittle others' knowledge or to gain disciples. It is done only with true compassion towards others and out of regard for the Dhamma. But one who ask such a question must ensure that he has the proper knowledge and wisdom first. It is usually the province of a teacher or one who is in a position of a teacher to ask such a question.
So, we see that in the teaching of the Buddha one is encourage to ask questions, especially questions which are relevant to the practice of the Dhamma, questions which tend to bring about right knowledge and a proper understanding of the Dhamma. But one must ask question with a right attitude, the attitude of wanting to seek the truth, of humility, openness, and respectfulness, and not the attitude of wanting to indulge in some evil, contemptible desire.
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