As a schoolboy I was quite curious ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro
As a schoolboy I was quite curious. I liked asking questions and looking at things from unusual angles. One day I received an essay I'd written back from my English teacher. Commenting on the ideas in my essay, he'd written in the margin 'Not all questions that can be asked need to be answered.' More than forty years later I still feel grateful to my teacher for this comment. We can waste so much time asking questions that don't need to be answered. In doing so we neglect asking questions that should be asked. Calming the mind and choosing the best questions to ask in any difficult situation is an important life skill to develop. Here is an example of a question that should be avoided. When a problem arises, or a mistake is made, the common tendency is to ask, 'Who is to blame?' This question over-simplifies issues and sets people against each other. A better question to ask is 'what did each person or each party involved contribute to this problem or mistake. Looking at contributions rather than deciding who is to blame leads to clarity and intelligent solutions
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