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Lord Mahāvīra used this ‘syādvāda' method in all the occasions of dialogues with the laymen and laywomen, monks and nuns. A long series of the dialogues are found in the Bhagavatī Sūtra. But Dalsukha Malavaniya asserts, it is due to Buddha's silence regarding various philosophical questions, which played a great role in the origin of the so called, doctrine of anekānta. Let us introspect on the unexplained questions of Buddha, which are later on replied by Lord Mahāvīra. Unexplained Question of Buddha
The Majjhimnikāya (Cūlamālunkya-sutta) lists the ten avyākhyāta, not to be answered or explained, questions are as follows:
1. Is the loka (universe) eternal? 2. Is the loka not eternal? 3. Is it (the loka) finite (with an end)? 4. Is the.loka not finite? 5. Is the soul identical to the body? 6. Is the soul different from the body? 7. Does the Tathāgata exist after death? 8. Does the Tathāgata not exist after death? 9. Does he both exist and not exist after death? 10. Does he neither exist nor not exist after death?
Various speculations have been made with regard to these avyākyhāta questions. The above mentioned ten questions can · be summarized with in three questions. These queries are as follows:
1. The question of permanence and transience and
finiteness and infiniteness of the loka (universe),
Majjhimnikāya. I. Ed. p. V. Bapat. Bihar: Pali Publication Board, 1958,
Cūlamālunkya Sutta, 63. - Majjhimnikāya, op.cit., Cūlamalunkya Sutta, 64:
