The Buddha teaches on asking questions, presenting a fivefold teaching for disciples on the path.

AN 5.165 Asking Questions

Tatra kho āyasmā sāriputto bhikkhū āmantesi …pe… “yo hi koci, āvuso, paraṁ pañhaṁ pucchati, sabbo so pañcahi ṭhānehi, etesaṁ aññatarena. Katamehi pañcahi? Mandattā momūhattā paraṁ pañhaṁ pucchati, pāpiccho icchāpakato paraṁ pañhaṁ pucchati, paribhavaṁ paraṁ pañhaṁ pucchati, aññātukāmo paraṁ pañhaṁ pucchati, atha panevaṁcitto paraṁ pañhaṁ pucchati: ‘sace me pañhaṁ puṭṭho sammadeva byākarissati iccetaṁ kusalaṁ, no ce me pañhaṁ puṭṭho sammadeva byākarissati ahamassa sammadeva byākarissāmī’ti. Yo hi koci, āvuso, paraṁ pañhaṁ pucchati, sabbo so imehi pañcahi ṭhānehi, etesaṁ aññatarena. Ahaṁ kho panāvuso, evaṁcitto paraṁ pañhaṁ pucchāmi: ‘sace me pañhaṁ puṭṭho sammadeva byākarissati iccetaṁ kusalaṁ, no ce me pañhaṁ puṭṭho sammadeva byākarissati, ahamassa sammadeva byākarissāmī’”ti.

Pañcamaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Tatra kho āyasmā sāriputto bhikkhū āmantesi …pe… “yo hi koci, āvuso, paraṁ pañhaṁ pucchati, sabbo so pañcahi ṭhānehi, etesaṁ aññatarena.

There Venerable Sāriputta addressed the mendicants: … “Whoever asks a question of another, does so for one or other of these five reasons.

Katamehi pañcahi?

What five?

Mandattā momūhattā paraṁ pañhaṁ pucchati, pāpiccho icchāpakato paraṁ pañhaṁ pucchati, paribhavaṁ paraṁ pañhaṁ pucchati, aññātukāmo paraṁ pañhaṁ pucchati, atha panevaṁcitto paraṁ pañhaṁ pucchati:

Someone asks a question of another from stupidity and folly. Or they ask from corrupt wishes, being of wishful temperament. Or they ask in order to disparage. Or they ask wanting to understand. Or they ask with the thought,

‘sace me pañhaṁ puṭṭho sammadeva byākarissati iccetaṁ kusalaṁ, no ce me pañhaṁ puṭṭho sammadeva byākarissati ahamassa sammadeva byākarissāmī’ti.

‘If they correctly answer the question I ask it’s good. If not, I’ll correctly answer it for them.’

Yo hi koci, āvuso, paraṁ pañhaṁ pucchati, sabbo so imehi pañcahi ṭhānehi, etesaṁ aññatarena.

Whoever asks a question of another, does so for one or other of these five reasons.

Ahaṁ kho panāvuso, evaṁcitto paraṁ pañhaṁ pucchāmi:

As for myself, I ask with the thought,

‘sace me pañhaṁ puṭṭho sammadeva byākarissati iccetaṁ kusalaṁ, no ce me pañhaṁ puṭṭho sammadeva byākarissati, ahamassa sammadeva byākarissāmī’”ti.

‘If they correctly answer the question I ask it’s good. If not, I’ll correctly answer it for them.’”

Pañcamaṁ.

Qualities:

Craving

Craving

A driving ‘thirst’ that reaches out toward experiences, identities, or outcomes as the place to find satisfaction—“if only I had that.” It spins stories of lack, binds the mind to becoming, and invariably leads to suffering.

Also known as: wanting, yearning, longing, lit. thirst
Pāli: taṇha, abhijjhā
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Wholesome

Wholesome

Conducive to or suggestive of good health and mental well-being.

Also known as: blameless, skillful, beneficial, good, useful, healthy, nourishing, sustaining
Pāli: kusala
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Last updated on July 27, 2026