Manjusri’s teaching: Raising of Existential Doubts

Week of Oct 3, 2004 – Manjusri’s teaching: Raising of Existential Doubts (Or the Quest for Existential Truth)

The raising of existential Doubts is the third key to the attainment of Wisdom. The raising of existential Doubts is one of the most essential tools to enlightenment. This is particularly so in Ch’an practice. This Doubt should be one that questions the true meaning of life. It is formed by continuously asking oneself the same question; it is not some kind of disbelief that one wants to clarify but a doubt that one wants to verify (clarification involves intellectual understanding, whereas verification involves personal experience). For example:

Why do I need to learn Buddhism?
What is the purpose of Buddhism?
Buddhism learning can lead to enlightenment, but how?
How can recitation of the Sutra and Buddha’s names or Meditation lead to enlightenment?
Are there any other Ways to achieve enlightenment?

Through this mode of questioning one forms an uncertainty within one’s mind, and, from the roots of this uncertainty, always on one’s mind, develops doubts. Raising of existential Doubts will give rise to the attainment of Wisdom. The tighter and the more securely one holds onto this doubt, the sooner or easier it is for the attainment of Wisdom.

These Doubts have to be raised on your own and cannot be given to you by another person, since this concerns the matter of your Life. Other people’s Doubts are only good as references. The formation of Doubts happens through actual practice and experience, not through any logical thinking.

After the formation of the Doubts, one should search for the answer not by thinking but through experiencing. Somehow, someday and at the right place and time the answer will reveal itself. Even then, one should not take the answer for granted, but keep on verifying it until the answer is certain. Finally, one will need to let go of the answer and move beyond or surpass it.

So the process of the raising of existential Doubts is:

a) experiencing
b) verifying
c) surpassing

The raising of existential Doubts is not something to discuss but something to experiment with on your own. Like meditation, no matter how knowledgeable you are on the subject, you have to practice to taste the results. So again, keep on practicing!