Doubt

What Is This Doubt?

This isn't everyday doubt about what to eat for lunch. It's a deeper uncertainty:

• "Is liberation actually possible?"
• "Is this path real or just wishful thinking?"
• "Can I actually see through these illusions?"
• "Was the Buddha right?"

This doubt is a fetter because it keeps you from genuinely looking. As long as you're uncertain whether seeing is possible, you won't fully commit to the looking.

Why It Falls Automatically

Here's the thing: you don't work on doubt directly.

When you genuinely see through self-view, doubt dissolves on its own. It's like asking "Is the sun real?" — once you've seen it directly, the question becomes absurd.

Before stream entry, you can believe in the path, but there's always a whisper: "What if this is all nonsense?" After seeing through self-view, that whisper stops. Not because you've convinced yourself, but because you've seen.

The Difference Between Doubt and Skepticism

Healthy skepticism is useful. "Don't take my word for it — look for yourself" is the foundation of this entire practice.

The fetter of doubt is different. It's a paralysis that prevents looking. It says "Why bother looking? It probably won't work anyway."

Skepticism looks. Doubt avoids looking.

If You're Stuck in Doubt

If doubt is preventing you from engaging with the practice:

1. Notice the doubt itself — It's just a thought. Can you find the doubter?
2. Try anyway — You don't need to believe it will work. Just look.
3. Start with self-view — That's where the real work happens. Doubt resolves itself.