Questions and Doubts

The Student Asked:
Master, some teachers have said that I am not supposed to doubt or question their teachings, or the teachings of their predecessors. Some also teach that all the Scriptures are perfect, with no flaws at all.
Is this true?

The Master Responded:
Your question itself answers you, but I shall make solid that answer.
Despite what some Teachers and Sages have said, the Scriptures, though inspired by God and Brahman-consciousness, were written by human hands and guided by human intellect: the domain of Lord Ganesha. Remember, that Lord Ganesha, Intellect, is the Son of God, not God Himself. Ineffable Brahman alone is perfect; all else is Maya, which is inherently imperfect.

Therefore, never believe blindly. I tell you that believing something blindly, without questioning it, including everything I tell you, is one of the greatest sins you can commit. However wise any Sage or Teacher may be, he can still make mistakes, and give false teachings. Thus it is the duty of the student to check the teaching. Read what others have said about the teacher and teaching, including the critics. However, avoid gossip and propaganda, for those are meant to spread false and incomplete information, misrepresenting that which they are talking about, with the agenda of enforcing their opinions onto you as fact. Even if that propaganda comes from your own religion, do not listen to it.

The Student Asked:
How shall I discriminate between good and bad information?

The Master Responded:
Much of the time, gossip and propaganda are obvious, for they will be passionate but have little real substance. Such things will attempt to sway you by making you feel guilty for not agreeing with them. However, sometimes propaganda will be more subtle than that, and not have much emotion behind them, as well as appear to have apparently good sources to back them up. To catch those ones, you must go to those sources to make sure they're being accurately represented, as well as credible.

The essence of this teaching is this: doubt is the beginning of knowledge. When you hear something, doubt it. Make an effort to undermine that doubt by checking the source of that information. Do this until all doubts are erased: then you will have knowledge.

AUM Shanti Shanti Shantihi