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Studies in Indian Philosophy
Buddha's Silence
Buddha is silent on the existence of noumena. In fact, he was asked some questions, to wbich he declined to reply and on the contrary, he termed them as indeterminables (Avyākstāni). These questions are set as follows: 1. Whether the Loka is eternal or not; 2. Whether the Loka is infinite or finite, 3. Whether the Tathāgata exists after death or does not
exist or both exists and does not exist or neither exists
or does not exist; 4. Whether the Jiva is identical with the body or different
from it. 1
In the later Buddhist Scriptures, the first and second sets each have two more alternatives--one affirming the thesis and the negative antithesis. The fourth set may also be expanded in the same way. But the number is not so important as their import and Buddha's silence. As stated at the outset, the silence led the scholars to interpret him differently. The import of questions has been brought to light by the great Pali commentator, Buddhaghosa and later by Candrakirti in his Prasannapadā. As N. M. Tatia has observed, Buddhaghosa "does not analyse or define the meanings of the words with unmistakeable clarity or logical precision.” Candrakirti is faithful to the tradition and his interpretation is logically intelligible. According to the latter, the Loka in the first set is to be understood in the sense of totality of individuals and also the world process, whereas in the second set it is limited to 'any particular individual without any particular reference to the world process.'9 Thus the first two sets are concerned with eternality or otherwise of the world and the soul. The third set brings to the forefront the question of existence of the soul when a being is liberated and no more. And the fourth set brings in the question of relation between the soul and the body. If both are ideatical, the soul partakes of the
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