What technique have you learned to Erase Doubt forever?

[Apech]

What technique have you learned to Erase Doubt forever?

I'm not sure .... seriously doubt is good embrace it.

[de_paradise]

that makes great sense. thank you. Like achieving absorption with a seed object, and then letting the seed go and then being the absorption. I never thought about it happening with trust...other things yes, but it had never occurred to me with that word. Trust = willingness to surrender and be led..eventually into mergence once the leader and the follower disappear into each other.

 

Exactly. Like having a seed object for the absorption of "surrender", except that "state of trust" or faith is elegantly egalitarian. This makes it easy to practice in daily life. I first came upon this technique in meditation, then continued to do it in walking in nature, because its so easy to trust the trees and rocks and ferns etc. Its easy to trust the cycle of birth and death in nature. After walking meditation in nature, the next step is trust in walking around town, and trust in everyday life, people. Even people who don't merit any kind of trust in the conventional sense. This is because the "trust" becomes a deeper, more meaningfully spiritual word. We are not talking about little "trust", but big "Trust" The trust that coincides with the enlightened mind, and equanimity. Doubts become like little mosquitoes, to disturb the meditation, or the state of trust.

 

Its also an antidote to "worry", another ego-trap similar to "doubt", that creates episodes of psychic pain. Worry of the future, worry for your next problem. The resolution is actively practicing trust--in the present, the now.

[Apech]

Exactly. Like having a seed object for the absorption of "surrender", except that "state of trust" or faith is elegantly egalitarian. This makes it easy to practice in daily life. I first came upon this technique in meditation, then continued to do it in walking in nature, because its so easy to trust the trees and rocks and ferns etc. Its easy to trust the cycle of birth and death in nature. After walking meditation in nature, the next step is trust in walking around town, and trust in everyday life, people. Even people who don't merit any kind of trust in the conventional sense. This is because the "trust" becomes a deeper, more meaningfully spiritual word. We are not talking about little "trust", but big "Trust" The trust that coincides with the enlightened mind, and equanimity. Doubts become like little mosquitoes, to disturb the meditation, or the state of trust.

 

Its also an antidote to "worry", another ego-trap similar to "doubt", that creates episodes of psychic pain. Worry of the future, worry for your next problem. The resolution is actively practicing trust--in the present, the now.

 

I disagree ... doubt is what makes you search and deepen understanding. Embrace it.

[manitou]

also, Doubt is an indication that your mind is set upon something. I think it's better to remain teachable and let doubt take you where it may.

[三江源]

Afaic de_paradise is absolutely spot on and is giving very valuable practice advice based on hard won experence, advice that is rare, hard to find, and worth heeding.

[Marblehead]

I first came upon this technique in meditation, then continued to do it in walking in nature, because its so easy to trust the trees and rocks and ferns etc. Its easy to trust the cycle of birth and death in nature.

This caused me a chuckle. Yes, it is easy to trust raw nature. It always does exactly what it needs to do. People? Ha! Myself? Another Ha!

[Songtsan]

Exactly. Like having a seed object for the absorption of "surrender", except that "state of trust" or faith is elegantly egalitarian. This makes it easy to practice in daily life. I first came upon this technique in meditation, then continued to do it in walking in nature, because its so easy to trust the trees and rocks and ferns etc. Its easy to trust the cycle of birth and death in nature. After walking meditation in nature, the next step is trust in walking around town, and trust in everyday life, people. Even people who don't merit any kind of trust in the conventional sense. This is because the "trust" becomes a deeper, more meaningfully spiritual word. We are not talking about little "trust", but big "Trust" The trust that coincides with the enlightened mind, and equanimity. Doubts become like little mosquitoes, to disturb the meditation, or the state of trust.

 

Its also an antidote to "worry", another ego-trap similar to "doubt", that creates episodes of psychic pain. Worry of the future, worry for your next problem. The resolution is actively practicing trust--in the present, the now.

 

I don't mind doubts, because they are me, but I also mind them, because the me that's I doesn't like them...If we run away from doubts in fear, then we are hating ourselves, but if we grab the doubts and bring them along with us, they will learn to trust too

 

I disagree ... doubt is what makes you search and deepen understanding. Embrace it.

 

I agree with your disagree

 

also, Doubt is an indication that your mind is set upon something. I think it's better to remain teachable and let doubt take you where it may.

 

Not only that, but it is also a 'you' that is misunderstanding, so we need to educate it.

 

Afaic de_paradise is absolutely spot on and is giving very valuable practice advice based on hard won experence, advice that is rare, hard to find, and worth heeding.

 

He's def cool mon

[三江源]

 

 

He's def cool mon

Yes, he is. Cool in the sense of aware and skillful and able to pass on wisdom that is worth listening to. You dont find that everyday. I wish I had been able to talk to him years and years ago, but I guess readiness is all.

[johndoe2012]

.

Edited August 18, 2013 by chris d

[三江源]

One can quickly clear doubt using energetic corrections but I sometimes don't choose to do so.

 

The problem with hanging on to the known is an internal anxiety of always wanting to be in some sort of comfort zone and thus keeping the "seeker" alive.

 

So trusting the flow of life not knowing where to go, what happens next etc, keeping the child wonder mentality alive and realizing no one really knows everything and knowing everything does not mean you end up happy.

Absolutely. The false polarity of 'doubt' versus 'the known' is what needs to be uprooted.

Edited June 11, 2013 by cat

[三江源]

here's a list of fetters Chris just posted somewhere else on the board which may be useful here:

 

 

 

you can look at the 10 fetters and judge for yourself.

Quote

• sensual lust (Pali:
  kāma-rāga
  )
• anger (
  paṭigha
  )
• conceit (
  māna
  )
• views (
  diṭṭhi
  )
• doubt (
  vicikicchā
  )
• attachment to rites and rituals (
  sīlabbata-parāmāsa
  )
• lust for existence (
  bhava-rāga
  )
• jealousy (
  issā
  )
• greed (
  macchariya
  )
• ignorance (
  avijjā
  )

[Marblehead]

Cat, I'm NOT giving up number 1.

[Apech]

Absolutely. The false polarity of 'doubt' versus 'the known' is what needs to be uprooted.

 

Ah! Well doubt is the polarity which is why I think wanting to end doubt is the problem.

[Apech]

here's a list of fetters Chris just posted somewhere else on the board which may be useful here:

 

I think I would score highly on all ten counts.

[三江源]

I think I would score highly on all ten counts.

We all know that the dalai llama is unable to hoover under his sofa.

[de_paradise]

I disagree ... doubt is what makes you search and deepen understanding. Embrace it.

 

Songtsan, you are cool too. And Cat is a treasure chest of good insights except she overstates the value of my blurbs.

 

Apech, you are right of course about doubt needed for searching and understanding, and life and path. I am using the word "doubt" in another level of abstraction. The word "trust" is meant to symbolize a launching pad to an emotional state that is akin to a spiritual state. A state of innocent apprehension, "this is this." Buddha holding up the flower and smiling. Here, "doubts" are bad because they shake the state of "trust", and you go from a relatively blissful, enlightened feeling state back to a relatively egocentric state in a heartbeat. The cultivation practice or angle is that we can practice feeling deep trust by accessing it internally in meditation, and perhaps expanding it into daily life. And it only works "in the now."

 

 

And yes Cat, it was hard-won. If you can imagine all the years practicing worry and doubt, until I hit the wall, or Kundalini turned up the volume. It just was so unbearable I thought, why don't I start with just practicing trust, and in the now, because that's all I can control.

Edited June 11, 2013 by de_paradise

[manitou]

Songtsan, you are cool too. And Cat is a treasure chest of good insights except she overstates the value of my blurbs.

 

Apech, you are right of course about doubt needed for searching and understanding, and life and path. I am using the word "doubt" in another level of abstraction. The word "trust" is meant to symbolize a launching pad to an emotional state that is akin to a spiritual state. A state of innocent apprehension, "this is this." Buddha holding up the flower and smiling. Here, "doubts" are bad because they shake the state of "trust", and you go from a relatively blissful, enlightened feeling state back to a relatively egocentric state in a heartbeat. The cultivation practice or angle is that we can practice feeling deep trust by accessing it internally in meditation, and perhaps expanding it into daily life. And it only works "in the now."

 

 

And yes Cat, it was hard-won. If you can imagine all the years practicing worry and doubt, until I hit the wall, or Kundalini turned up the volume. It just was so unbearable I thought, why don't I start with just practicing trust, and in the now, because that's all I can control.

 

 

I think that's exactly right. Why not start practicing trust, knowing that the world is a friendly place when we are in consciousness of the connectedness of all life? To choose the path of not-trusting seems to me to be based on fear of what other people may think - like thinking you're too naïve or something - can't quite put my finger on it.

 

We might as well choose the reality we want - a high one or a low one. Like when the Nazarene said something about casting your eyes high into the hills. It's all in how we choose to look at things. And when we start manifesting a more balanced life because we have chosen our focus, and by god, it works......this is the proof that we individually need to continue up the trust of the unity and working-together of everything. The more we see that it actually works (and we're not really crazy) the more we can turn over to just watching the passing parade and not being horrified, judgmental, or even overly attracted to something.

[三江源]

Like when the Nazarene said something about casting your eyes high into the hills.

Thats a great context, manitou. I never heard that before. Likey!

[JustBHappy]

Nothing wrong with doubt. No reason to erase it forever in my opinion.

From the Buddhist standpoint, it is an obstacle to have doubt IN the teachings and teachers. This does not in any way apply to everything we perceive. It's a very specific doubt about very specific object(s). The Buddha even urged people to examine everything he taught with open eyes, to start from a place of doubt. This is the true and authentic way of coming to your own unshakable knowing that is beyond doubt.

Doubt, can and does keep us out of trouble. Without doubt we would all be hooked up to some $2 dollar gizmo while being audited by a scientologist who is scared of body thetans from the planet Zenu and having our bank account sucked dry in the process.

Doubt, like any other thought is powerless. It is we who give any thought power by feeding it, following it, and jumping into the storyline. Doubt can come, and doubt can go, no harm is done. Same with fear, and the myriad of other thoughts, feelings and emotions. In fact, the more we tense up and try to resist, the stronger we make them.

[4bsolute]

4bsolute, great post. Lots of ways this can be addressed, but I think the core is - have fun.

To me, spirituality is about being alive, period. Forget complicated visualizations or meditations, if you're thinking about writing a poem or talking to that cute girl you see every day at the bus stop, THAT'S your spiritual practice. Look at your actual life and what you want to create, and take the smallest next step. And then the next. When you get confidence in doing that, your doubt will begin to be replaced by confidence.

 

The age-old saying that if you want to practice zen, look into your kitchen sink and your toilet first, is very true, but I think zen goes overboard in making it TOO ordinary. Personally I go directly to what will inspire me most. What would make today an 8 out of ten? What would I have to focus on, think about, and work at? Okay, having established that, what would make today a 9 out of 10? Adding in these little extra things, and pushing myself to break through my comfort zone. What would make today a 10 out of 10? I notice what kinds of thoughts and actions this line of questioning brings up, because it shows me my actual life.

 

If you're not feeling great, start with something tactile. Do something you know will make you feel better.

 

I have noticed that attempting giant leaps from the brain, always fails due to it's dual nature. Those leaps catapult oneself right back to the very opposite. It does not matter what. Food, sports, whatnot. Going hardcore and life will make you go super-softcore the next day That's what's the failure in not understanding free-will.

 

Free-will without spirit integrated in our beings does not work. It's like playing as a child (spiritual-wise) in a sandbox full of armed grenades and wonder why it starts to hurt. How can we fly a plane without a training? How can we reach a location without having our actual location (goal) already? It does not (seem to) work.

 

From the heart everything is Way more different.

 

Personally I am working on non-linear thinking so excuse me for breaking out of the logical box regarding further discussions.

 

To each their own, since everyone is in a different reality

Edited June 12, 2013 by 4bsolute