What Is the Great Doubt?

All unresolved problems can become a state of doubt, though they differ in depth and in whether they can persist. There is also the issue of where the doubt arises. If it merely arises from the conscious mind, it is very shallow and can be forgotten quickly, failing to reach a resolution. Such doubt is almost always intermittent and rarely leads to genuine resolution. Only when doubt arises from the depths of the manas (the root consciousness) can it persist day and night, driving continuous inquiry. Whether walking or sitting, one remains preoccupied with that question, continuously contemplating it until the doubt is resolved.