Long time back I had come across some article where it was expounded on Buddha’s words on why, what motivates people to ask questions. I’m not able to find it again. Does anyone have any idea about it? Where is it in Nikayas or anywhere else?
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“Whoever asks a question of another, does so for one or other of these five reasons. What five?
Someone asks a question of another from stupidity and folly.
Or they ask from wicked desires, being naturally full of desires.
Or they ask in order to disparage.
Or they ask wanting to understand.
Or they ask with the thought, ‘If they correctly answer the question I ask it’s good. If not, I’ll correctly answer it for them.’ Whoever asks a question of another, does so for one or other of these five reasons.
As for myself, I ask with the thought, ‘If they correctly answer the question I ask it’s good. If not, I’ll correctly answer it for them.’”
https://suttacentral.net/an5.165
Mind that the discourse is attributed to Ven Sariputta, not the Buddha.
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Thank you really for such swift reply. I will save this now. And yeah thank you for correcting me that it was not Buddha but Sariputta. May be I wud have come across this in the book Great Disciples of Buddha.
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