The Reasons for Doubting the Dharma

When meditative concentration (samādhi) is insufficient, wisdom is shallow, and one will inevitably harbor doubt toward the Dharma; doubt about views will necessarily exist. Especially with regard to those profound teachings—the dharma of the seed-wisdom of Yogācāra—everyone will have doubts to varying degrees, because meditative concentration and wisdom are insufficient, and merit is also insufficient; one cannot realize them, cannot observe them directly, and so the doubt becomes even deeper. Therefore, in the Diamond Sutra, the Buddha instructed sentient beings to sever doubt and give rise to faith.

When one cannot personally realize the truth, having doubts is unavoidable; but one must never draw a definitive conclusion. If the conclusion is wrong, it constitutes slander, and the retribution is severe. A person of wisdom, regarding dharma teachings that he cannot personally realize, neither readily affirms nor readily denies them, thus not adding karmic obstructions to himself.