Maharaj Ji Speaks on “Doubt” (Conversation in a familial setting, February 2012 Ludhiana):
All doubts come from the outside. Someone said something, what is the meaning of that, it is correct/incorrect. And there is no end to this. There is no end to books, thoughts and people. Yes, you will go on reading Gurbani, and doubt will remain. You will read the Gita, and still doubt would be there. Read the Vedas, and still the doubts would be there. It has no end. The crux is to decide and then, end that who doubts; end yourself. Otherwise, as long as the consciousness is outside, doubts are bound to arise.
The trouble arises when we raise doubts as a hobby. We still think that by getting answers to their doubts someone would be benefitted, but now in Malke Sunday Sabha we do not answer questions like, “This and this is written in a particular text. What is the meaning of that?” You should instead ask something pertaining to your own practice. You are facing some hindrance, seek answers to that. Now, someone came asking, “What are the five praanas?” Now what do you want from knowing the five praanas! You do your practice and you will know.
We ourselves invite doubt from the outside. Then seek answers for them. Then become happy on finding an answer. Then, we find another doubt to work upon. There is no end. So you understand, right? A thousand doubts and a thousand answers give rise to a thousand plus one more doubts. That is because we ourselves give rise to doubt. Instead search within yourself, and then if you find yourself stuck, ask. If you can’t do that, ask about something that immediately concerns you, like, the pain in your knees. Atleast, that way you are asking something of immediate value to you. Why waste time for some far-off mental speculation which nothing more than a tickling for the brain! Ask about anything that is troubling you personally.
You will have to go inside, lest we remain like the old lady who kept on searching for the needle outside her outside, only because there was darkness within. Let us share about our own life. After Maharaj Ji left his body, we went here and there and then began thinking of going to Benaras to study. But then we felt it was absurd to first decide what to read, then read it, think on it. Instead, we decided it was better to straightaway go within. And once we went within, there was no need to read anything. And now, we can read anything as per our own wish. That is how our desire to go and study at Benaras ended. Else, one would go on reading this and that, and there is no end to it. Go on reading all your life, books will not finish for you to read more.
Now many renowned people are doing just this. They keep on reading and reading, writing and speaking. First search within, and yoked to that all that is outside is of value. And another thing is unless one comes to know about the inner, even reading books will not give a clear meaning. Shastras are only understood if backed up by a vision of the inner. Now shastras talk about God, Brahm. We do not know anything about that. But we go on reading, learning; surely then we interpret them in a wrong way. If you have direct experience, then books sound right. Practice, and then you will understand the shastras to be correct. Merely reading does not help totally. There should be some vairagya within, some practice, only then shastras can be understood.