How to Eliminate Doubt

Question: I have a deeply ingrained habit of doubt, and the force of these skeptical thoughts is extremely strong. When my mind lacks the strength to contemplate, I tell myself to observe these thoughts and do nothing, allowing the manas to slowly deliberate on its own, trusting that it will eventually yield a result. What is happening in this process?

Answer: The conscious mind can introspect its own thoughts and mental formations. After observing them, it gains a certain level of discernment regarding these thoughts and can analyze and contemplate the validity of its doubts. As for the final outcome—how to regard, handle, and address it—that is the function of the manas. The conscious mind then transmits its discerned understanding to the manas, ceasing to interfere with the manas’ deliberation. The manas will then slowly and quietly ponder, finally clarifying the doubt, discerning whether the skeptical thought is valid or not, determining how to handle it, and thus removing the doubt.