Ways of Answering Questions

Pañhabyākaraṇasutta

Ways of Answering Questions

Pañhabyākaraṇasutta

EN
“Mendicants, there are these four ways of answering questions. What four? There is a question that should be answered categorically. There is a question that should be answered analytically.
PL
“Cattārimāni, bhikkhave, pañhabyākaraṇāni. Katamāni cattāri? Atthi, bhikkhave, pañho ekaṁsabyākaraṇīyo; atthi, bhikkhave, pañho vibhajjabyākaraṇīyo;
EN
There is a question that should be answered with a counter-question. There is a question that should be set aside. These are the four ways of answering questions. One is stated categorically,
PL
atthi, bhikkhave, pañho paṭipucchābyākaraṇīyo; atthi, bhikkhave, pañho ṭhapanīyo. Imāni kho, bhikkhave, cattāri pañhabyākaraṇānīti. Ekaṁsavacanaṁ ekaṁ,
EN
another analytically, a third with a counter-question, while a fourth is set aside. That sort of mendicant, <j>who knows each of these,
PL
vibhajjavacanāparaṁ; Tatiyaṁ paṭipuccheyya, catutthaṁ pana ṭhāpaye. Yo ca tesaṁ tattha tattha,
EN
in line with good principles, is said to be skilled in the four kinds of questions. They’re intimidating, hard to defeat,
PL
jānāti anudhammataṁ; Catupañhassa kusalo, āhu bhikkhuṁ tathāvidhaṁ. Durāsado duppasaho,
EN
deep, and hard to crush. They’re expert in both what the meaning is and what it isn’t. Shunning what is not the meaning,
PL
gambhīro duppadhaṁsiyo; Atho atthe anatthe ca, ubhayassa hoti kovido. Anatthaṁ parivajjeti,
EN
an astute person grasps the meaning. An attentive one, comprehending the meaning, is said to be astute.”
PL
atthaṁ gaṇhāti paṇḍito; Atthābhisamayā dhīro, paṇḍitoti pavuccatī”ti. Dutiyaṁ.

Pāli root text and English translation by Bhikkhu Sujato from SuttaCentral (https://suttacentral.net), CC0.

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