user7788: Video: Does God Exist? - Sadhguru
This is a story I picked up from the above video (watch from 4.25):

A man confused about the existence of god asks Buddha if god exists. Buddha gives a straightforward "NO".
After a while another man asked the same question and the Buddha, surprisingly, said "YES".

First of all I do not know whether this is a true story. If (or assuming that) it is true, I want to know what made Buddha give contradicting answers?

user254: The speaker explains his story at the end:

What's the game Gautama is trying to play?
  See if you believe there is God, or if you believe there is no God, you're in the same boat: you believe something that you do not know.
  "I believe this", "you believe that", it doesn't make any difference.
  You can believe whatever you want, yes? Everyone can believe whatever they want, it need not have anything to do with reality as such.
  If you say "I do not know", the longing to know will arise.
  If the longing arises then the seeking arises.
  If the seeking arises then the possibility of knowing, exists.


During the story I noticed he said that the men asked the questions because "a little doubt" had come into their minds. That reminded me about these topics, on the subject of the role of "doubt" in (Zen) Buddhism:

What happens after the great doubt of koan practice?
The role of doubt in Zen Buddhist practice?


I've seen "doubt" elsewhere: it's one of the fetters, vicikicchā, which a stream-enterer is free from. Note though that that's free from "doubt about the Dhamma".

If the story is true (or rather, "assuming for the sake of argument that the story is true"), maybe it's saying that "existence of God" is not knowable. You can't, for example, use the standards given in the Kalama sutta to assess whether or not there's a God.
Another thing I noticed from the story-as-told is that:

The first man uses only one word ("Ram") to say everything/anything. Gautama replies to him accordingly, with one word: "No".
The second man is an expert arguer and missionary, no matter which of the Gods you believe in he can prove you wrong within ten minutes of formal argument. Instead of getting into an argument, Gautama answers him too with one word: "Yes".

Maybe "does God exist?" is a question that belongs in the same category as other questions in the Avyakata Samyutta.
Maybe, using the logic in SN 44.10, Gautama gave the answer which would least confuse (or best unconfuse) the person who is asking:

The devotee was confused by their belief in God, so Gautama answered "No" (e.g. you need to see through, see beyond, see more than that belief).
Similarly the atheist, the materialist, was confused by their belief in only-materialism, and so Gautama gave him a corresponding answer.


A bit off-topic but it does remind me of this, which I read in a non-Buddhist collection of aphorisms:

Fais que je me contredise souvent: afin d'être simple et vrai.
  - Prière paienne

(my translation from the French)

Make me contradict myself often: in order to be simple and true.
  - Pagan prayer


user8044: When Stephen Hawking makes it clear that there is no God, here comes Bhagwan Sri Rajneesh, saying that in fact there is God, and says that the Buddha said so. BTW…. There is no place for God in the Mahayana traditions of Buddhism as well. When you get a chance try to read  “Brahma-nimantanika Sutta”: The Brahma Invitation (MN 49). 
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.049.than.html
In all of the 18,000 + Suttas, the closest thing to the God concept is this Baka Brahma who once challenged Buddha.
Also as per Access to Insight: "From a study of the discourses of the Buddha preserved in the Pali canon, it will be seen that the idea of a personal deity, a creator God conceived to be eternal and omnipotent, is incompatible with the Buddha's teachings. On the other hand, conceptions of an impersonal godheadof any description, such as world-soul, etc., are excluded by the Buddha's teachings on Anatta, non-self or unsubstantiality. In Buddhist literature, the belief in a creator God (issara-nimmana-vada) is frequently mentioned and rejected, along with other causes wrongly adduced to explain the origin of the world."
Source: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/nyanaponika/godidea.html 
Buddhism and the God-idea – by Nyanaponika Thera

user8157: I have never read or heard of this story before. The Buddha did not teach Buddhists to seek or worship 'god' (Brahma). Further, the scriptures report the Buddha said to Brahmans that no Brahman teacher has ever seen god (Brahma) & also taught Brahmans that the way or path to Brahma is to radiate love in all directions (refer to Tevijja Sutta on the internet). For the Buddha, 'god' or 'the gods' are states of mind. In the Mulapariyaya Sutta, different gods are equated with mental states of meditation. In the Brahma-Nimantanika Sutta & Culatahnasankhaya Sutta, the Buddha visits 'gods', who are obviously human beings with super-normal spiritual attainments.  

7788: <p>Video: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9GXI_9DXF0" rel="nofollow">Does God Exist? - Sadhguru</a></p>

<p>This is a story I picked up from the above video (watch from 4.25):</p>

<ul>
<li>A man confused about the existence of god asks Buddha if god exists. Buddha gives a straightforward "NO".</li>
<li>After a while another man asked the same question and the Buddha, surprisingly, said "YES".</li>
</ul>

<p>First of all I do not know whether this is a true story. If (or assuming that) it is true, I want to know what made Buddha give contradicting answers?</p>
 254: <p>The speaker explains his story at the end:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>What's the game Gautama is trying to play?
  See if you believe there is God, or if you believe there is no God, you're in the same boat: you believe something that you do not know.
  "I believe this", "you believe that", it doesn't make any difference.
  You can believe whatever you want, yes? Everyone can believe whatever they want, it need not have anything to do with reality as such.
  If you say "I do not know", the longing to know will arise.
  If the longing arises then the seeking arises.
  If the seeking arises then the possibility of knowing, exists.</p>
</blockquote>

<hr>

<p>During the story I noticed he said that the men asked the questions because "a little doubt" had come into their minds. That reminded me about these topics, on the subject of the role of "doubt" in (Zen) Buddhism:</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/q/12263/254">What happens after the great doubt of koan practice?</a></li>
<li><a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/q/3492/254">The role of doubt in Zen Buddhist practice?</a></li>
</ul>

<hr>

<p>I've seen "doubt" elsewhere: it's one of the fetters, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vicikitsa" rel="nofollow noreferrer">vicikicchā</a>, which a stream-enterer is free from. Note though that that's free from "doubt about the Dhamma".</p>

<hr>

<p>If the story is true (or rather, "assuming for the sake of argument that the story is true"), maybe it's saying that "existence of God" is not knowable. You can't, for example, use the standards given in the Kalama sutta to assess whether or not there's a God.</p>

<p>Another thing I noticed from the story-as-told is that:</p>

<ul>
<li>The first man uses only one word ("Ram") to say everything/anything. Gautama replies to him accordingly, with one word: "No".</li>
<li>The second man is an expert arguer and missionary, no matter which of the Gods you believe in he can prove you wrong within ten minutes of formal argument. Instead of getting into an argument, Gautama answers him too with one word: "Yes".</li>
</ul>

<p>Maybe "does God exist?" is a question that belongs in the same category as other questions in the <a href="http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn44/sn44.intro.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Avyakata Samyutta</a>.</p>

<p>Maybe, using the logic in <a href="http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn44/sn44.010.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">SN 44.10</a>, Gautama gave the answer which would least confuse (or best unconfuse) the person who is asking:</p>

<ul>
<li>The devotee was confused by their belief in God, so Gautama answered "No" (e.g. you need to see through, see beyond, see more than that belief).</li>
<li>Similarly the atheist, the materialist, was confused by their belief in only-materialism, and so Gautama gave him a corresponding answer.</li>
</ul>

<hr>

<p>A bit off-topic but it does remind me of this, which I read in a non-Buddhist collection of aphorisms:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Fais que je me contredise souvent: afin d'être simple et vrai.<br>
  - <em>Prière paienne</em></p>
</blockquote>

<p>(my translation from the French)</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Make me contradict myself often: in order to be simple and true.<br>
  - <em>Pagan prayer</em></p>
</blockquote>
 8044: <p>When Stephen Hawking makes it clear that there is no God, here comes Bhagwan Sri Rajneesh, saying that in fact there is God, and says that the Buddha said so. BTW…. There is no place for God in the Mahayana traditions of Buddhism as well. When you get a chance try to read  “Brahma-nimantanika Sutta”: The Brahma Invitation (MN 49). </p>

<p><a href="http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.049.than.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.049.than.html</a></p>

<p>In all of the 18,000 + Suttas, the closest thing to the God concept is this Baka Brahma who once challenged Buddha.</p>

<p>Also as per Access to Insight: "From a study of the discourses of the Buddha preserved in the Pali canon, it will be seen that the idea of a personal deity, a creator God conceived to be eternal and omnipotent, is incompatible with the Buddha's teachings. On the other hand, conceptions of an impersonal godheadof any description, such as world-soul, etc., are excluded by the Buddha's teachings on Anatta, non-self or unsubstantiality. In Buddhist literature, the belief in a creator God (issara-nimmana-vada) is frequently mentioned and rejected, along with other causes wrongly adduced to explain the origin of the world."</p>

<p>Source: <a href="http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/nyanaponika/godidea.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/nyanaponika/godidea.html</a> 
Buddhism and the God-idea – by Nyanaponika Thera</p>
 8157: <p>I have never read or heard of this story before. The Buddha did not teach <strong>Buddhists</strong> to seek or worship 'god' (Brahma). Further, the scriptures report the Buddha said to <strong>Brahmans</strong> that no Brahman teacher has ever seen god (Brahma) &amp; also taught Brahmans that the way or path to Brahma is to radiate love in all directions (refer to Tevijja Sutta on the internet). For the Buddha, 'god' or 'the gods' are states of mind. In the Mulapariyaya Sutta, different gods are equated with mental states of meditation. In the Brahma-Nimantanika Sutta &amp; Culatahnasankhaya Sutta, the Buddha visits 'gods', who are obviously human beings with super-normal spiritual attainments.  </p>
