On the path to the Truth one may be considered to pass through various stages. In reality, no such stages exist, as you have always been, will be and can be none other than the Absolute. Such descriptions are therefore relative in nature and should be considered as such. The seeker (mumukshu) is the earliest stage when one is interested in knowing the Truth and one who is willing to listen to the Master or Guru with keen interest. The Aspirant is one who has absorbed the teachings of the Guru and is adept in putting the teachings into practice. The Aspirant has intuitive knowledge and experience of the Truth or Self. The one who is well established in the Truth and has merged with the Absolute is the Sage or the Accomplished.
The Sage or the Accomplished has merged his identity with the Absolute. The Sage has banished all doubt about the nature of the Truth or his True Nature. The Sage is unmovable in his conviction about his True Nature. The difference between an Aspirant and the Sage is the complete absence of doubt in the Sage. When the Aspirant becomes doubt- free and has unfailing conviction, he may be recognized as a Sage.
Initially, the Aspirant may have some doubts about his experience of the Self or the nature of the Truth as heard from the Guru. But, upon continued contemplation (nidhidhyasana) on his True Nature, the Aspirant becomes doubt-free. Knowledge with doubt is false knowledge. Spiritual action carried out with doubt will not succeed in getting the seeker to his goal. Devotion with doubt is useless to the seeker and is a sign of a false devotee (Bhakta). Spiritual life with doubt is utterly useless. Pilgrimages done with doubt are useless and serve to only increase the doubt. Living with doubt, gaining spiritual knowledge with doubt, and listening to the Guru with doubt are all useless and unlikely to result in achieving the spiritual goal of Liberation (mukti). All greatness achieved by one with doubt is useless.
It is ridiculous for one with doubt to boast about his knowledge of the scriptures for such talk is rudderless and only amounts to meaningless babbling. The one with doubt knows well that there is no satisfaction in this type of false knowledge and is indeed actually miserable in his own bondage.
True Knowledge is free of all doubt and is conviction itself. So, how does one overcome doubt? Doubt can be overcome by continuous contemplation on the nature of one's own True Self. Doubt is overcome by complete faith in the Guru. Doubt is overcome by continuous discrimination between the true and the false. Doubt is overcome by complete surrender to the Guru. Body identification leads to sustenance of doubt. One who is thoroughly convinced that he is indeed the Supreme Self is indeed the Sage. What attributes can you give to the Sage who has no form and has merged with the Absolute?
