Buddha, Silence, and the Wisdom of Unanswerable Questions
The Meaning of “Avyakhya” — When Silence Speaks
Whenever someone went to Buddha, there were certain questions to which he would simply respond: “Avyakhya”—this cannot be explained. And then he would fall silent.
He would say, “No, there will be no explanation.”
Buddha had clearly marked some questions. The moment they were asked, His answer was always the same: Avyakhya. No interpretation. No reply. Only silence.
People would ask him, “Why can it not be explained?”
Because the human mind believes that if a question can be asked, an answer must exist. People assume that since they have formed a question, an answer is compulsory.
But that is not true.
Not Every Question Deserves an Answer
The mere fact that you have created a question does not mean an answer exists. In fact, when a question has no answer, it is a sign that a fundamental mistake has occurred in the very formation of the question.
Language is deceptive. It can create the illusion that a question is perfectly logical, relevant, and meaningful—when it is not.
When Language Creates False Questions
Someone may ask, “What does sunlight taste like?”
Again, the question seems fine.
The problem is confusion of categories.
Where is the error? The question appears grammatically perfect.
Someone may ask, “What is the sound of love?”
Yet love has no sound. Love has nothing to do with sound or silence. Sunlight has no taste—neither sweet nor tasteless. The question is irrelevant. Taste has no relationship with sunlight at all.
The problem is not the language.
Why Metaphysics Fails to Reach Truth
Metaphysics and philosophy often ask meaningless questions. That is why philosophy struggles endlessly without resolution.
For example, someone asks:
“Who created this universe?”
The question sounds perfectly valid. Where is the mistake?
The mistake is total.
The Trap of Infinite Answers
If we say, “God created the universe,” then the question immediately stands behind God:
Who created God?
but because you are asking the wrong question.
If we invent another God to explain that, the question stands behind that one too. This question will follow every possible answer. There can be no final solution—because the question itself is flawed.
A question that stands eternally behind every answer makes all answers meaningless.
That is why, if you asked Buddha, “Who created the universe?” he would say: Avyakhya.
Not because Buddha did not know the answer—
but because you are asking the wrong question.
The Danger of Wrong Questions and False Answers
Whenever a wrong question is answered, the answer becomes just as wrong as the question itself.
Humanity asks countless wrong questions—and there is no shortage of people ready to provide answers. The world is not suffering because of unanswered questions; it is suffering because of too many wrong answers.
The earth is burdened, wounded, and exhausted by false answers.
Sometimes, silence is the greatest compassion.
~ From the Nirvan Upanishad by Osho (Hindi Discourse), Discourse 2 – Translated
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