The ‘Muni’ is silent not only when he does not speak; he is silent even when he does speak. .
Hence the seemingly incongruous statement of the Buddha: “Monks, I do not dispute with the world; it is the world that disputes with me.” Not only the Buddha, but the emancipated monk, too, has no dispute with the world but merely uses the worldly parlance without clinging to it. The Madhupiõóika and Sakkapañha Suttas, as well as several suttas like Kalahavivâda, Cûlaviyûha and Mahâviyûha of the Aññhaka Vagga of the Sutta Nipâta, lay particular stress on this strange aspect of the ‘muni’. Strange indeed it might appear, when in numerous suttas we find the Buddha and the arahants vigorously debating with the heretics and refuting their views.
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Yet even in the thick of the debate the sage is silent within, and holds himself aloof, since he has no axe to grind – has nothing to gain or lose by it. He has no attachment (taõhâ) to his arguments, no conceit (mâna) to be safeguarded and no views (diññhi) to be dogmatically entertained. Perhaps the most remarkable is the last mentioned. In many a context it is said that the muni has abandoned all views. He has no views because he has got rid of the point of view, that is, the illusion of the ego. Hence he neither formulates nor proffers any views.
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