Doubt is a dangerous obstacle on the devotional path. In a heart scorched by doubt, the nectar of devotion gets evaporated and eliminated. Indeed, doubt desertifies the heart. Pertinently, the Bhagavad-gita (04.40) cautions that doubters find happiness neither in this world nor the next.

Of course, we can and should try to address doubts intellectually by consulting learned and realized spiritual teachers. But ultimately, the intellect can’t give us comprehensive understanding of everything or, for that matter, of even one thing. Even material scientists acknowledge increasingly that many aspects of the universe are incomprehensible. Despite their inability to scientifically crack such aspects, they don’t abandon their faith in science. Instead, they focus on those aspects of the universe that are more scientifically amenable and strive therein for progress.

To progress spiritually, we need a similar pragmatic approach. If we obsess over those things in bhakti that trigger doubts within us, we push ourselves deeper into the drought of doubt, aggravating our spiritual parchedness.

Instead, we can hold our doubts in a state of suspended judgment and focus on those things in bhakti that give us satisfying spiritual experiences. The resulting divine emotions will become the trickle of nectar that moisturizes our inner desert. Rather than merely waiting for that trickle to grow, we can proactively trace it to its source. That is, we can conscientiously strive to increase our contact with the devotional stimuli that we find relishable. The resulting fulfilling experiences will vindicate and strengthen our faith.

Further, when we diligently embrace faith-stimulating things and avoid doubt-aggravating things, we show Krishna that we don’t want to use doubt as a rationalization for staying away from him. Seeing our sincere desire to come close to him, he will reciprocate by granting us the insight and taste that raise our consciousness beyond doubts.

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