What's Your Question?

One of the finest thoughts of the 20th century that opened the floodgates of possibilities and probabilities is that of French social philosopher and anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss, 'The scientific mind doesn't so much provide the right answers as ask the right questions.'

In fact, the entire history of human intelligence is more to do with dwelling upon questions rather than their answers. 'A question gives direction. An answer closes it,' said Socrates more than 3, 000 years ago. The right question is like a rough stone. It has so many possibilities, so many forms hidden in it.

The Buddha's question, 'Why there's so much pain and suffering in this world?' gave a new direction to mankind. 'A man is known by his questions and not by his answers,' this Japanese adage is germane to all ages and eras. A question gives a semblance of idea about the person's perceptions and discernment.


An answer has the base of the question but a question has no prior base. Upanishadic and Greek philosophies are questions leading to further questions because the moment one gets the answer, one stops to enquire further. The Buddha says in Dhammapad, 'Stop expecting answers. Look at your own question. It has the answer concealed in it. Your question itself is an answer, provided you ask an intelligent one.'