If we are traveling through a dangerous area, we need a good gun. Similarly, to function in an illusion-filled world, we need the gun of a doubting faculty. 

However, just as a gun doesn’t tell us who our target should be, the doubting faculty itself doesn’t tell us what to doubt. Doubt is an integral part of the intelligence we humans have been gifted with. In fact, we have been given the intelligence to build up a case to believe whatever we want. Such intelligence makes us search for evidence that reinforces our default beliefs. For example, if we have grown up with certain negative conceptions such as the notion that we are just not good enough to face life’s challenges, we viscerally reject any philosophy or even evidence that points to the contrary. We remember all that is wrong with our life and forget the many things that are right with our life. 

Recognizing how our motivations or pre-conceptions may underlie our doubts can be our life’s biggest game-changer. We see that our doubts often  arise not just from factual concerns, but also from unexamined conceptions. With that vision, we direct the gun toward the things that undermine us, never toward ourselves.

Many of our deepest concerns can’t be answered just by endless intellectual arguments; we need to go deep within ourselves to understand what drives us and whether those drives are what we really want to be defined by. When we reach the deepest core of our being, we appreciate that we are parts of Divinity and that our existence has a divine purpose. Being grounded in that spiritual self-understanding, we arrive at an indefatigable conviction that frees us from the doubts that undermine us (Bhagavad-gita 18.73). 

One-sentence summary:

Don’t let doubt undermine you; doubt the things that undermine you. 

Think it over:

  • Why do we need the gun of doubt?
  • How can the gun of doubt hurt us?
  • How can we use the gun of doubt constructively?

***

18.73: Arjuna said: My dear Kṛishna, O infallible one, my illusion is now gone. I have regained my memory by Your mercy. I am now firm and free from doubt and am prepared to act according to Your instructions.

 

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