Great Faith, Great Doubt, Great Effort

This essay was originally published by Robert J. Hartung III on November 25, 2019.

Great faith. Great doubt. Great effort. The three jewels of training.

To get the most from training, I believe it is important to embody these three qualities.

Great faith

My teachers have often told me to have more confidence. Confidence allows a person to continue despite setbacks and an unknown future. The Japanese word jishin (自信) can carry the sense of confidence or self-belief.

You must believe in yourself enough to continue training, while having enough confidence in your present ability to meet what you do not yet know.

Great doubt

Doubt is also important. Without it, we may lack the introspection needed to see what is missing from our training. To question your abilities is to identify the skills you remain unsure of and the areas that need to be tested.

Useful doubt does not end the practice. It gives us a reason to investigate.

Great effort

Skill requires effort. Wishing to improve accomplishes little by itself; improvement depends on the work we are willing to do.

The saying yakeishi ni mizu (焼け石に水), literally “water on a hot stone,” describes an effort too small to have the needed effect. Small actions can accumulate, but effort must be sustained enough to matter.

Faith keeps us moving. Doubt keeps us examining. Effort turns both into practice. As practice improves, so can the practitioner; as the practitioner improves, the quality of practice can deepen again.

Original source: Great Faith, Great Doubt, Great Effort.