4.42. Các Câu Hỏi

“Cattārimāni, bhikkhave, pañhabyākaraṇāni.

Katamāni cattāri?

Atthi, bhikkhave, pañho ekaṁsabyākaraṇīyo;

atthi, bhikkhave, pañho vibhajjabyākaraṇīyo;

atthi, bhikkhave, pañho paṭipucchābyākaraṇīyo;

atthi, bhikkhave, pañho ṭhapanīyo.

Imāni kho, bhikkhave, cattāri pañhabyākaraṇānīti.

Ekaṁsavacanaṁ ekaṁ,

vibhajjavacanāparaṁ;

Tatiyaṁ paṭipuccheyya,

catutthaṁ pana ṭhāpaye.

Yo ca tesaṁ tattha tattha,

jānāti anudhammataṁ;

Catupañhassa kusalo,

āhu bhikkhuṁ tathāvidhaṁ.

Durāsado duppasaho,

gambhīro duppadhaṁsiyo;

Atho atthe anatthe ca,

ubhayassa hoti kovido.

Anatthaṁ parivajjeti,

atthaṁ gaṇhāti paṇḍito;

Atthābhisamayā dhīro,

paṇḍitoti pavuccatī”ti.

Dutiyaṁ.

“There are these four ways of answering questions. Which four? There are questions that should be answered categorically [straightforwardly yes, no, this, that]. There are questions that should be answered with an analytical (qualified) answer [defining or redefining the terms]. There are questions that should be answered with a counter-question. There are questions that should be put aside. These are the four ways of answering questions.”

First the categorical answer,
then the qualified,
third, the type to be counter-questioned,
& fourth, the one to be set aside.
Any monk who knows which is which,
in line with the Dhamma,
is said to be skilled
in the four types of questions:
hard to overcome, hard to beat,
profound, hard to defeat.
He knows what’s worthwhile
& what’s not,
proficient in (recognizing) both,
he rejects the worthless,
grasps the worthwhile.
He’s called one who has broken through
to what’s worthwhile,
prudent,
wise.