G Sakamoto
There was a monk who came to the Buddha and said he would become a student of his if he answered some questions first. Questions like, is the world finite or eternal, is there a soul, is it separate from the body or are the two the same, does a buddha exist after death, does the buddha exist before life, does the buddha exist before and after. There were many more questions the monk wanted the Buddha to answer before he would become a disciple. The Buddha replied he would not agree to answer any such questions. The Buddha also said if you plan to wait for these answers, you would die before these answers were heard.
Shakyamuni asked if a man were shot with a poison arrow what should he do? If he refused to have the arrow removed until he had questions about the origins of the arrow, the material if was made from, who shot the arrow, what caste did the person who shot the arrow come from. The Buddha continued to raise many questions until finally the monk said stop the man would die waiting for answers.
The Buddha said to the monk that he should ask about the teachings. The Buddha taught the way to end misery.
I’m not sure what “Questions which tend not to edification” – a Buddhist concept – means however the instructions of the Buddha were clear. He taught the resolution of difficulties, this should be the focus of questions. Whether the Buddha existed or not existed before birth. Or whether the Buddha will go somewhere or come from somewhere. Such questions were much less important than understanding the Four Noble Truths.
Do not waste time and energy. Reflect on the assurance of Amida Buddha. This is a story that has been important to me for a long time.