[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [法苑珠林](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122) › 24.9 # 法苑珠林 24.9 法苑珠林 24.9 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [24.9](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.24.9) 又百喻經及毘曇論。問答有四。一有決定答。譬如人問一切有生皆死。此是決定答。二問死者必有生。是應分別答。愛盡者無生。有愛者必有生。是名分別答。三有問人為最勝不。此應反問言。汝問三惡道。為問諸天。若問三惡道。人實為最勝。若問於諸天。人必為不如。如是等義名反問答。四若問十四難。若問世界及眾生有邊無邊有始終無始終。如是等義名置答。論問若論諸外道愚癡自以為智。不閑四論。唯作一分別論。 > Furthermore, according to the \*Sūtra of a Hundred Parables\* and the Abhidharma treatises, there are four kinds of questions and answers. First, there is the categorical answer: for example, if someone asks, “Must all that is born die?”, this is answered categorically. Second, if someone asks, “Does one who dies necessarily take birth?”, this should be answered by distinguishing: for one whose craving is exhausted there is no birth; for one who has craving there is necessarily birth—this is called answering by distinguishing. Third, if someone asks, “Are humans supreme or not?”, to this one should respond with a counter-question, saying: “Do you ask in relation to the three evil destinies, or do you ask in relation to the devas? If you ask in relation to the three evil destinies, humans are indeed supreme. If you ask in relation to the devas, humans are certainly inferior.” Such an exposition is called answering by counter-question. Fourth, if someone asks the fourteen unanswerable questions, or asks whether the world and sentient beings are finite or infinite, or whether they have a beginning and end or no beginning and end—such issues are called answering by setting aside. The treatise asks: if one discusses the various non-Buddhists who are foolish yet take themselves to be wise, they are not conversant with the four modes of discourse, and only make a single distinguishing discourse. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 24.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.24.8) - [Next: 24.10](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.24.10) - [Up: 24](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.24) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122~en-mt.24.9) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.24.9](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.24.9) · Pramāṇa