Saturday 13 July 2013

Doubt and Faith: Sides of a coin

Doubt is a pain too lonely to know that faith is his twin brother.       
-Khalil Gibran 

A fever or pain is itself not a disease but an immune response in a form of an indication that a struggle is started within the body; something went wrong whether an outsider intrusion or internal imbalance which needs immediate attention and some remedial action. The same is true with the feeling of doubt. Doubt is an indication of somewhat disturbed belief system which needs immediate attention and some remedial action. In the words of William Shakespeare, “Modest doubt is called the beacon of the wise.”  

I heard a story about Gautam Buddha who once was taking rest outside a village. A passerby recognized him and greeted. He, despite being theist, asked Buddha “Do God exist?” Buddha replied “No.” He passed with a state of despair on his face. Another passerby asked the same question to Buddha but he was an atheist; the reply came “Yes.” He also walked with desperate face. Third one came and said “It doesn’t matter for me whether God exists or not, but, since I met you it is not unwise to ask you so I am asking do god exist?” Buddha said “May be may not be.” Buddha’s disciple sat beside him and was listening all questions and answers and finally asked “All of them asked the same question but you replied differently I don’t understand why? Which one is correct?” Buddha replied sheepishly “All of them were correct for those whom given and none of them for you. The thirst of truth could not be quenched by firm belief in prejudice but through curiosity i.e. asking smart questions and meeting their answers. I was just breaking prejudices of the first two and the third one was already in that state.”

It is not that we don’t know answers but we don’t know how to ask questions. The moments of doubt could be used to learn asking question. Most people thought being a part of question as failure and want to be a part of solution. It is okay but when the same principle is applied to doubts then the opposite happens. Doubt doesn’t teach answers but questions. It is the question that meets answer. Dennis Palumbo, a former Hollywood screenwriter and now a licensed psychotherapist in private practice, said “The plain fact is, the more willing you are to mine the landscape of your own doubts, the truer and more recognizably human your characters will be.”

Quantum physics reveals nature as a realm of knowledge. The physical theory has become converted from a theory about `physically reality', as it had formerly been understood, into a theory about human knowledge. Freedom is granted to each experimenter to choose freely which experiment he will perform, i.e., which aspect of nature he will probe; which question he will put to nature. Then nature is allowed to pick an outcome of the experiment, i.e., to answer to the question. These elements of `freedom of choice', on the part of both the human participant and nature herself, lead to a picture of a reality that gradually unfolds in response to choices that are not necessarily fixed by the prior physical part of reality alone. The basic building blocks of the new conception of nature are not objective tiny bits of matter, but choices of questions and answers.

Doubt is like a situation where one stands at an intersection of roads and does not know which one is correct for his destiny; which one to choose. Doubt is a state of mind in which one is struggling between opposite propositions and unable to stick either of them. Doubt is not the situation of multiple choice options but doubt against each option in terms of its validity whether it is true or not. On the basis of logic, doubt could be understood in two ways: one in which logic could be applied equally by both side, i.e. for the proposition or against the proposition and second in which logic could not be applied by any side due to lack of evidence. In either case logic could not be of much help but faith. Logic needs axioms to spin arguments. Mark Twain said “when in doubt tell the truth.” Truth could not be an interpretation of brainstorming but a direct message. Truth is something that sprouts from within and requires faith to act upon it. William James said “faith means belief in something concerning which doubt is theoretically possible.”

A child was born in the year 570 and raised from the milk of nomad, vicarious mothers in the desert of Arabia. He tended sheep and soon hired out to a rich widow as leader of her caravans. In 595, the widow aged 40 and was 15 years older than he, looked upon him with favor and married him. He continued his living as a rich and respected trader. Each year during Ramdan, the ninth month of lunar calendar, he wandered in mountains surrounding Mecca to refresh himself with solitude and prayer. In the year 610, at the age of 40, the humble trader took himself on one of these retreats in the cave of Mount Hira and suddenly found someone calling him to proclaim. He terrified and ran out of the cave. At first, he thought, it had to have been a hallucination; a trick of the eye or of the year or his own mind working against him. He even thought worst about being possessed by an evil spirit to deceive him and to crush life out of him. He was deeply distressed and resolved to commit suicide. The man who fled down the mountain that night was in a state of stark, primordial fear and overwhelmed not with conviction but by doubt. Slowly and gradually he learned to have faith along with confusion and struggling. He continued his prayer and fast. After three years, once again, he heard from the same source “By morning brightness and by the stillness of the night, Your Lord has not forsaken you, nor has He become displeased, and surely what comes after is better for you than that which has gone before.  And soon will your Lord give you so that you shall be well pleased.” He was Prophet Muhammad, founder of Islam and this was the beginning of holy Quran and faith in one “Allah” which started with a terrifying doubt. Lesley Hazleton, author of ‘The First Muslim’ said “It was precisely Muhammad’s doubt that brought him alive for me, that allowed me to begin to see him in full, to accord him the integrity of reality. And the more I thought about it, the more it made sense that he doubted, because doubt is essential to faith.” In the words of Henry David Thoreau, “Faith keeps many doubts in her pay. If I could not doubt, I should not believe.”  

As it is said that excess of anything is bad, so is with doubt. Excess of doubt creates fear which ultimately leads to frustration and misery. One should make a stand and act accordingly with faith. On the other extreme, if all doubts are abolished, then what remains is not faith but absolute heartless conviction which leads to self-righteous arrogance.

All innovations whether scientific or spiritual are results of doubt: doubt over existing system. They are the answers put forward by nature as a result of the questions raised in doubts and nurtured by faith. All religious system did not origin at the same time but gradually doubting over the previous system as Buddhism from Hinduism and Islam and Christianity from Judaism. But the followers stop asking questions and show their blind faith which resulted in decline of religions because the questions have changed and they are still giving the same old answers. If they do not assimilate current questions then they are preparing grounds for new religions. The existence of many religions is the outcome of fundamentalist thinking prevailing in the religion which is not ready to accommodate new questions.

Faith has no easy answers. It involves an ongoing struggle, a continual questioning of what we think we know a wrestling with issues and ideas. It goes hand in hand with doubt in a never ending conversation with it and sometimes in conscious defiance of it. What drives us is that, despite our doubts and even because of our doubts, we reject the nihilism of despair and insist on faith. Consider the ambivalence as put by Frederick Buechner, “If you don’t have any doubts you’re either kidding yourself or asleep. Doubts are the ants in the pants of faith. They keep it awake and moving.”

Faith and doubt both are needed not as antagonists, but working side by side to take us around the unknown curve.

-Lillian Smith  

23 comments:

  1. This is a well written article which explores many aspects of being a human being with more questions than there possibly are answers. In my opinion, belief breeds doubt, where doubt does not breed belief. Doubt breeds questions which take the answers further away from the belief. We question belief because belief is questionable.

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  2. Brilliant, you and Scorpio say it well.

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  3. I <3 this!

    I have always, from the beginning, been a faith filled person.

    There are times, especially now that I am older that I enter into a deep, dark doubt. It makes me feel so empty and lonely. I will feel as if all the things I usually believe, all the people I usually listen to and read (Chopra, Dyer, Williamson, Thich Nhat Hanh, Dali Llama, Olsteen, etc), are wrong. I begin to believe I am going to die and soon and that when I do it will be nothing but blackness.

    This never lasts long, maybe a day, before I return to myself, to my faith. I thank God for that.

    Looking at it from the perspective you present here, it all makes sense. And instead of feeling as if I am becoming a bad person for experiencing doubt, you are inspiring me to think this may be necessary for growth. I thank you for this.

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  4. I agree that "faith" and "doubt" are two sides of same coin. I also think that true faith and doubt only go together with minority, majority of population either involve in doubt and rely completely on science, reject anything spiritual; or, reject doubt completely, totally embrace faith, end up blind believe, which is "religion", or obedience.

    "The existence of many religions is the outcome of fundamentalist thinking prevailing in the religion which is not ready to accommodate new questions."
    --- totally true. as Liu, Xiaobo (a Chinese philosopher who is still in prison) said, the history of philosophy is the history of questions.

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  5. Excellent post about the interplay of faith and doubt. I particularly like your insight that this interplay is largely responsible for someone not succumbing to the despair of nihilism.

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  6. Great analysis here :)
    True that we don't have many answers! Excess of anything brings misery.

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    1. Thanks Anita for sharing your view. Yes, excess of anything brings misery.

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  7. Such a nicely written post, only you can write such posts Ravish. It is really good that I came through a spiritual story and quantum Physics as well.

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    1. Thanks Alok for such praiseworthy words. It's your love and humbleness that is reflecting in these words. I ain't that uniquely talented. You could find a plenty who write better than me :)

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  8. Doubts raised by person, leads to discovery. Good take on Faith and Doubt

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  9. Superb article Ravish, reasonable doubt and faith provide a meaningful platform for things to shape, but when extreme can result in destruction. The examples scientific or spiritual both are so relevant and well formed. Super flow making it an interesting reading. Very thought provoking article.

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    1. Thanks Shweta for such soothing words. It's your kindness that you find it super flowingly interesting and thought provoking. And yes balanced view in life always bring happiness. :)

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  10. Well written and well expressed Ravish. I am in agreement. Doubt is GOOD to form /pose questions........ and questions in turn ought to be answered, so find the answers but before that frame the RIGHT questions." And DOUBT as in constructive sense helps in that PROPER Framing of questions.....
    I have got two quotes which will be with me for-ever- the Mark twain's,Fredrick Beuchner's and the Shakespeare's .... all 3 are different, all 3 TRUE.
    First says -MODEST doubt !
    Second- when unable to act (in doubt) tell the truth (go straight)
    And Third- by doubting (questioning) faith will be awake and moving ....
    It stayed with me when Bertrand Russel , quite cynically said -
    "I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong."
    And I think what he meant was - your post. Rather then dying obstinate, better to doubt, question, find solution, grow, develop and live :)



    and

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  11. In 'Satanic Verses', Salman Rushdie says that the opposite of faith is not disbelief because both are certain, sure about themselves. Doubt is the opposite of faith, his character argues. Doubt brings new discoveries, faith roots one in the traditions and conventions. Both are needed in some ways. [I am an agnostic, though, when it comes to religion :) ]

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    1. O yes, the very controversial book of Salman Rushdie for which a fatwa was issued by Ayatollah Khomeini. Now, I think I'm gonna read it soon. Thanks Matheikal for mentioning the book here. [And don't worry, your doubt will lead you to the faith :)]

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  12. Faith and Doubt nothing in it's absolute form will lead you no where. Your soul and consciousness is in the state of Inertia and will remain so unless the external force or energy of doubt is applied. Then comes our Eros and thanatos. The eros or life energy will compel us to be curious and seek out why the doubt? we then learn and grow. The Thanatos on the other flank will let our Doubt be immediately turned into a negative energy "If I doubt it I won't do it." and we remain ignorant. The road to absolute wisdom is through faith and the road to faith is through doubt. Truly said Doubt is just the symptom of unrest. Excellent Post!

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    1. Datta, I'm happy to see your psychological cells in full active form playing dual with physics and mythology :) That's a beautiful explanation of the concept in terms of Eros and thanatos. Excellent comment too :)

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  13. With doubt arises a quest and if attended effectively, might lead to faith. Ofcourse like good and evil, faith and doubt are the faces of the same coin which I would like to term as our belief....absolutely insightful and knowledgeable post

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    1. Absolutely Chaitali, doubt and faith are related to one's belief. The way you summarise it displays your deep understanding on the subject.

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  14. A very interesting and a delightful question actually Ravish :). We always hear what we want to hear, and we probably ask the questions accordingly too. Based on these questions we have our answers.. I loved the intro part of this Ravish, a nicely made one :)

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    1. Thanks Vinay for such an insightful interpretation. Yes it's the question that determines the nature of answer. It's your gratuitousness that you loved it. :)

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  15. Can we say faith and doubt are two ends of the same continuum? When we do not do the experiment and do not know reality we have doubt. When we do our experiment and we become certain of truth we have faith.

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