法苑珠林 24.9

24.9

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.