Day 245
Doubt robs us of our energy and determination and causes great confusion.
-Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Doubt is the attitude that is uncertain whether things such as the four noble truths, karma or the Three Rare Sublime Ones actually exist. Doubt is a very disturbing mind because it blocks any progress on the path. Through not being sure of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha and the efficacy of relying on them, we don't take refuge and therefore never become an "inner being," which would allow us to eliminate obscurations and attain realizations. Not knowing whether there is such a thing as cause and effect, we don't have the energy to turn away from nonvirtue.
Doubt grows from ignorance. It is a two-pointed mind-thinking maybe something is true, maybe it's not that cannot reach a conclusion. Even if we have studied the Dharma and have an intellectual knowledge of all its subjects, unless our doubts are overcome we will be unable to achieve any results. It's like possessing a medicine but never taking it because we have no faith in the cure.
When we embark on the spiritual path it is extremely healthy to have doubts, but this is not what we are talking about here. Those kinds of doubt involve checking whether something really exists as the texts describe and analyzing whether the teachings work for us, rather than just accepting everything without question. The Buddha said we should not accept his words just because of his authority but should test everything just as a goldsmith assays gold to determine its purity
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Lamrim Year: Making Life Meaningful Day by Day
Book by Thubten Yeshe and Thubten Zopa Rinpoche
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