Why Buddha can't tell "yes I will"?

[SarathW]

Why Buddha can't tell "yes I will"?

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The Buddha educated, encouraged, fired up, and inspired her with a Dhamma talk. Then she said to the Buddha: “Sir, may the Buddha together with the mendicant Saṅgha please accept tomorrow’s meal from me.” The Buddha consented in silence. Then, knowing that the Buddha had accepted, Ambapālī got up from her seat, bowed, and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on her right, before leaving.

[User1249x]

If i was going to guess i would say that because there is no question there is no need to say anything.

[DooDoot]

Why Buddha can't tell "yes I will"?

Imo, because Ambapālī might think she seduced Buddha with lust. Buddha either says "No" or a "silent yes". It means Buddha is not controlled by others.

[SarathW]

Ambapālī might think she seduced Buddha with lus

You mean lust for food?

[Sam Vara]

That's a really interesting question. I've often seen it in the suttas, but never the origin, or an explanation.

It might be just the custom of the time; that when offered something, one automatically accepts and one has a responsibility to say something only if one refuses. If so, I find it quite appealing that a culture should treat giving and helping as something normal and taken for granted.

DooDoot's answer seems very plausible, though. It is related to monks not thanking supporters according to Western customs. If the Buddha gave acceptance speeches, people would probably get into a competition to see who could elicit the most superlatives from him. Rivalry would soon set in, and people would get unhappy that their acceptance by the Buddha was not as "good" as their neighbour's.

[justindesilva]

Why Buddha can't tell "yes I will"?

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The Buddha educated, encouraged, fired up, and inspired her with a Dhamma talk. Then she said to the Buddha: “Sir, may the Buddha together with the mendicant Saṅgha please accept tomorrow’s meal from me.” The Buddha consented in silence. Then, knowing that the Buddha had accepted, Ambapālī got up from her seat, bowed, and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on her right, before leaving.

This post says " then , knowing that the budda had accepted" !
What more. Lord Budda never used words, more than necessary. It is aryan.

[Ruud]

In addition to the above, as another example that silence is understood as yes, the following from the Pātimokkha:

Venerable sirs, the ninety-two rules entailing expiation have been recited.
Herein I ask the venerable ones: Are you pure in this?
For a second time I ask the venerable ones: Are you pure in this?
For a third time I ask the venerable ones: Are you pure in this?
The venerable ones are pure herein; that is why they are silent. So I record it
(transl.:Ven.Ñānamoli)

[diligence]

Why Buddha can't tell "yes I will"?

Why? Why on earth Buddha agreed by silence? Is it just because of the custom of the time as Sam Vara said?

[seeker242]

“Why can’t he” doesn’t make any sense because there is nothing to indicate that he can’t.

[Sam Vara]

“Why can’t he” doesn’t make any sense because there is nothing to indicate that he can’t.

I think, making due allowances for non-native English speakers and how people have chosen to answer the question, we might also read it as "Why doesn't he".

[Dhammanando]

Why Buddha can’t tell "yes I will"?

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The Buddha educated, encouraged, fired up, and inspired her with a Dhamma talk. Then she said to the Buddha: “Sir, may the Buddha together with the mendicant Saṅgha please accept tomorrow’s meal from me.” The Buddha consented in silence. Then, knowing that the Buddha had accepted, Ambapālī got up from her seat, bowed, and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on her right, before leaving.

The commentarial glosses on the phrase, “The Blessed One consented by remaining silent” (adhivāsesi bhagavā tuṇhībhāvena) limit themselves to explaining the meaning of the phrase: he consented in mind only, not with body or speech. They don’t explain why he chose to consent in this particular way.

I suspect it was just a convention of the time, considering that (1) the commentaries don’t see it as something that needs explaining, and (2) the practice wasn’t unique to the Buddha, for we find his disciples reported doing the same thing, both good ones like Anuruddha and bad ones like Sudinna Kalandaputta.

Imo, because Ambapālī might think she seduced Buddha with lust. Buddha either says "No" or a "silent yes". It means Buddha is not controlled by others.

What’s described in the quoted sutta is the Buddha’s only way of responding affirmatively to the fifty or so invitations he gets in the Sutta and Vinaya Piṭakas. The same response is used regardless of the sex of the inviter, most of whom are male.

[Bundokji]

There is a lot of repetition in the Suttas. For example, when people come to the Buddha, they bow to him, sit beside him, exchange friendly greetings ....etc

The point, as I see it, is a unified style of story telling. I would not draw any conclusions about the Buddha based on them .

[SarathW]

I suspect it was just a convention of the time

We have a custom ins Sri Lanka that people do not commit for the future because future is uncertain.
When I was young we never ask the driver the time for destination because they get angry since the road conditions and the reliability of the vehicle is so bad.
Some people say yes to future commitments with the addition "god willing".

[diligence]

The commentarial glosses on the phrase, “The Blessed One consented by remaining silent” (adhivāsesi bhagavā tuṇhībhāvena) limit themselves to explaining the meaning of the phrase: he consented in mind only, not with body or speech. They don’t explain why he chose to consent in this particular way.

I suspect it was just a convention of the time, considering that (1) the commentaries don’t see it as something that needs explaining, and (2) the practice wasn’t unique to the Buddha, for we find his disciples reported doing the same thing, both good ones like Anuruddha and bad ones like Sudinna Kalandaputta.

What’s described in the quoted sutta is the Buddha’s only way of responding affirmatively to the fifty or so invitations he gets in the Sutta and Vinaya Piṭakas. The same response is used regardless of the sex of the inviter, most of whom are male.

Thank you very much, bhante! I see now.

[diligence]

I think, making due allowances for non-native English speakers and how people have chosen to answer the question, we might also read it as "Why doesn't he".

Thanks a lot for your understanding and considerate. I am a non-native English speaker and each time I use online dictionary to read and write in English. However, I also try to improve my English.