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Looking for quote : Agnosticism/Ambivalence/etc.
Talisman
Veteran
in Philosophy
Hi guys.
There's a scene in one of the pali suttas where the Buddha is discussing the failings of agnosticism. Something along the lines of "I cannot know this I cannot know that" I can't remember how it goes. If anyone can remember the citation please let me know.
-Tristen
0
Comments
All I could find, was this: It takes some reading, but I think there's something in it.... Pages 75 & 87....?
I may well be wrong....... @Jason may know.....
Not sure. There are so many. There's one in which the Buddha explains that one whose "heart possessed and overwhelmed by sense-desires" has difficulty knowing, "as it really is, the way of escape from sense-desires that have arisen" or "what is to his own profit," "to the profit of others," or of both (SN 46.55). Then there's the Buddhist equivalent of Pascal's Wager in MN 60 and AN 3.65. Various types of views are also explored in AN 3.61, DN 1, and MN 76 (maybe it's the first you thinking of, which deals with three views that can potentially lead to a life of inaction?).
Not what I'm looking for but I appreciate both your efforts
Thank you 
Damn. And here was me thinking I knew everything....
.
Is there anything else you can recall about it to help me narrow it down? Context, names, which collection it was in, etc.?
The only other thing I can think of off the top of my head is the extreme skepticism of Sanjaya, who was reluctant to make any positive pronouncements through fear of falling into error (e.g., DN 2).
This is what came to mind as well. Perhaps it would be helpful to look up
“Ambiguous Evasion".
To clarify further with some help from wikipedia:
"The concept of ambiguous evasion or eel-wriggling (Pali: Amaravikkhepa) is introduced in the Brahmajala sutta. When hearing Buddhist teachings, the Buddha claims that people would react with four forms of ambiguous evasion:
Evasion out of fear or hatred of making false claims.
Evasion out of fear or hatred of attachment.
Evasion out of fear or hatred of debate.
Evasion out of fear or hatred of admitting ignorance.
In other words, when a person would hear the dharma, they would respond, “I don’t know. Maybe it is true. Maybe it is not true. I can’t say it’s true because I don’t know and I can’t deny it’s true because I don’t know.”
The idea is that the person isn’t considering the arguments presented (see Kalama Sutta), but stubbornly adhering to irrational agnosticism out of feelings of fear or hatred.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eel_wriggler#Ambiguous_Evasion
Thanks so much, guys. @Marcelle I think that might be it, I'll have to read it when I have more time later. Thanks so much!
I'd say (just for fun) that i can't know this & i can't know that, but i can feel something & a certain kind of knowing..That knowing is from walking one's path, & so can't be explained to someone not yet on their own path..So most people are chasing down other peoples paths to get what they have, & aren't even considering their own.