There is a certain kind of liberal educator who bases his or her practice on a particular attitude toward the "Big Questions." The questions of fundamental literacy in K-12 education, or of expertise in vocational and professional education, may be just as important, but they are seen as quite different in kind. Indeed, the questions of liberal education take hold of people only under certain conditions. They call for distinct curricular and pedagogical approaches suited to a particular kind of learner. Beyond the scene of learning, these questions also challenge societies more generally to recognize the value of acknowledging, experiencing, and responding to them and to maintain forums for their discussion. In this article, the author redescribes the nature of the questions of liberal education via a close reading of some words of Rainer Maria Rilke. It is his hope that a clearer appreciation of the existential nature of the questions will illuminate what should be distinctive about this education. (Contains 1 note.)