Buddha was silent before these questions and they are called the 'indeterminate questions'. They are given as ten in number
1. Whether the world is eternal 2. or not eternal 3. Whether the world is finite 4. or infinite 5. Whether the soul and body are identical 6. or different 7. Whether the enlightened one exists after death, 8. or does not exist after death, 9. or both exists and does not exist after death, 10.or neither exists nor does not exist after death
One day a wandering ascetic, was puzzled by the fact that the Buddha had denied, in turn, each of these four alternatives
1) that the Enlightened one is reborn after death; 2) that he is not reborn; 3) that he is both reborn and not reborn; 4) and that he is neither reborn nor not reborn.
Then he asked these questions again, but this time the Buddha replied, "To say that he is reborn does not fit the case.... To say that he is not reborn does not fit the case, and so forth."
At this point, the ascetic confesses that he was totally at a loss about what to think. The Buddha then proposed this simile:
"Suppose a fire which had been burning before you were to go out. If someone were to ask in which direction the fire had gone, north, south, east, or west, what would you reply?"
"The question would not fit the case." answered the ascetic.
I created this thread for those who were arguing about big bang theorem. But it seems no one will reply for this. so i'll give my answer. My answer is belong to "other" because i am not a Buddha to explain what was in Buddha's mind
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Buddha on big bang theorem-What do u think? Buddha was silent before these questions, bcoz(Vote Below)
1. Whether the world is eternal
2. or not eternal
3. Whether the world is finite
4. or infinite
5. Whether the soul and body are identical
6. or different
7. Whether the enlightened one exists after death,
8. or does not exist after death,
9. or both exists and does not exist after death,
10.or neither exists nor does not exist after death
One day a wandering ascetic, was puzzled by the fact that the Buddha had denied, in turn, each of these four alternatives
1) that the Enlightened one is reborn after death;
2) that he is not reborn;
3) that he is both reborn and not reborn;
4) and that he is neither reborn nor not reborn.
Then he asked these questions again, but this time the Buddha replied,
"To say that he is reborn does not fit the case.... To say that he is not reborn does not fit the case, and so forth."
At this point, the ascetic confesses that he was totally at a loss about what to think. The Buddha then proposed this simile:
"Suppose a fire which had been burning before you were to go out. If someone were to ask in which direction the fire had gone, north, south, east, or west, what would you reply?"
"The question would not fit the case." answered the ascetic.