Be skeptical when appropriate,

have faith when doubt can be eliminated. 

When the Buddha warned us about doubt (one of the five poisons, the others being greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance), he was not talking about reasonable skepticism in daily matters. For example, questioning how an investment could possibly double our money in three years.

The Buddha was speaking of doubt in the sages’ teachings.For us, it is doubt in the Dharma.

Based on our roots from previous lifetimes, we come to the teachings with varying degrees of doubt. We whittle away our doubt by experiencing the truth of the Dharma and thus verifying it for ourselves.

For instance, we experience that, yes, when we live a moral life we worry less. Chiseling away at our doubt, we will reach the point where we accept certain teachings on faith.

An example? Once born in the Pure Land, we will attain enlightenment far more quickly than with other methods. When the teachings and our experience mesh, we will let go of our hesitation. And our doubt.

Instead of being frustrated when things fail to go according to plan . . . (Click image for video)

“We should see only others’ good points, 

not their shortcomings.” 

Some things bear repeating. Often.

The above advice from Pure Land Patriarch Yinguang falls into that category. Why? It’s just so very easy to find fault with another person! Upon having seen all those faults, we recall them whenever he comes to mind. We become increasingly irritated by him, but we are oblivious to how we are reacting. Before we know it, we’ve become so irked by his shortcomings, we destroy any hope we have of our own possible contentment or of controlling our thoughts and feelings.

Our derisive behavior is a sad state of affairs. We’re only hurting ourselves because in focusing on another’s shortcomings, we either fail to notice his good points or just gloss over them. We thus condemn ourselves to being cranky and cynical. And miss out on his good points.

Surely he has some!

Possibly they’re just harder to see. Perhaps we’re so blinded by the bad that we miss the good. And maybe we just need to let go of being so picky.