When faith has gone dry
Faith in the suttas is confidence that grows from checking, not a feeling to be maintained, and doubt that investigates is treated as part of the path rather than its opposite. The Kālāma discourse ends not in belief but in what you can know for yourself. The passages here distinguish that inquiry from the hindrance of doubt that paralyzes, and they are practical about a practice that has gone slack or been forced. They do not require you to believe anything in particular about rebirth to keep sitting, and they will not pretend that dryness is progress or that it isn't.
What the suttas say
don’t go by oral transmission, don’t go by lineage, don’t go by testament, don’t go by canonical authority, don’t rely on logic, don’t rely on inference, don’t go by reasoned train of thought, don’t go by the acceptance of a view after deliberation, don’t go by the appearance of competence, and don’t think “The ascetic is our respected teacher.” But when you know for yourselves:
The Kālāma discourse — the canon's charter for testing teachings.
Where this stops: It is not permission to believe whatever one likes; it ends with what the wise praise. Never a reason to stay with a teacher who is doing harm.
AN 3.65:25.3–25.4 · With the Kālāmas of Kesamutta
Mā anussavena, mā paramparāya, mā itikirāya, mā piṭakasampadānena, mā takkahetu, mā nayahetu, mā ākāraparivitakkena, mā diṭṭhinijjhānakkhantiyā, mā bhabbarūpatāya, mā samaṇo no garūti. Yadā tumhe kālāmā attanāva jāneyyātha:
“But when your harp’s strings were tuned neither too tight nor too slack, but fixed at an even tension, was it resonant and playable?” “Yes, sir.” In the same way, Soṇa, when energy is too forceful it leads to restlessness. When energy is too slack it leads to laziness.
The classic instruction on balancing effort.
AN 6.55:6.1–7.1 · With Soṇa
“Yadā pana te, soṇa, vīṇāya tantiyo na accāyatā honti nātisithilā same guṇe patiṭṭhitā, api nu te vīṇā tasmiṁ samaye saravatī vā hoti kammaññā vā”ti? “Evaṁ, bhante”. Evamevaṁ kho, soṇa, accāraddhavīriyaṁ uddhaccāya saṁvattati, atisithilavīriyaṁ kosajjāya saṁvattati.
It’s when a mendicant—gone to a wilderness, or to the root of a tree, or to an empty hut—sits down cross-legged, sets their body straight, and brings mindfulness to the present. Just mindful, they breathe in. Mindful, they breathe out. Breathing in heavily they know: ‘I’m breathing in heavily.’ Breathing out heavily they know: ‘I’m breathing out heavily.’
The first instruction in the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta, in full and without elaboration.
MN 10:4.2–4.4 · Mindfulness Meditation
Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu araññagato vā rukkhamūlagato vā suññāgāragato vā nisīdati, pallaṅkaṁ ābhujitvā, ujuṁ kāyaṁ paṇidhāya, parimukhaṁ satiṁ upaṭṭhapetvā. So satova assasati, satova passasati. Dīghaṁ vā assasanto ‘dīghaṁ assasāmī’ti pajānāti, dīghaṁ vā passasanto ‘dīghaṁ passasāmī’ti pajānāti,
Mendicants, a mendicant who is an inquirer, unable to encompass another’s mind, should scrutinize the Realized One for two things—things that can be seen and heard: ‘Can anything corrupt be seen or heard in the Realized One or not?’ Scrutinizing him they find that nothing corrupt can be seen or heard in the Realized One.
The Buddha's own instructions for scrutinizing a teacher, including himself.
Where this stops: Never a reason to stay with a teacher who is doing harm.
MN 47:4.1–4.4 · The Inquirer
Vīmaṁsakena, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā parassa cetopariyāyaṁ ajānantena dvīsu dhammesu tathāgato samannesitabbo cakkhusotaviññeyyesu dhammesu: ‘ye saṅkiliṭṭhā cakkhusotaviññeyyā dhammā, saṁvijjanti vā te tathāgatassa no vā’ti? Tamenaṁ samannesamāno evaṁ jānāti: ‘ye saṅkiliṭṭhā cakkhusotaviññeyyā dhammā, na te tathāgatassa saṁvijjantī’ti.
In the same way, when the mind is restless, it’s the wrong time to develop the awakening factors of investigation of principles, energy, and rapture. Why is that? Because it’s hard to settle a restless mind with these things. When the mind is restless, it’s the right time to develop the awakening factors of tranquility, immersion, and equanimity.
Which factors to develop when agitated versus sluggish.
SN 46.53:12.1–13.1 · Fire
Evameva kho, bhikkhave, yasmiṁ samaye uddhataṁ cittaṁ hoti, akālo tasmiṁ samaye dhammavicayasambojjhaṅgassa bhāvanāya, akālo vīriyasambojjhaṅgassa bhāvanāya, akālo pītisambojjhaṅgassa bhāvanāya. Taṁ kissa hetu? Uddhataṁ, bhikkhave, cittaṁ taṁ etehi dhammehi duvūpasamayaṁ hoti. Yasmiñca kho, bhikkhave, samaye uddhataṁ cittaṁ hoti, kālo tasmiṁ samaye passaddhisambojjhaṅgassa bhāvanāya, kālo samādhisambojjhaṅgassa bhāvanāya, kālo upekkhāsambojjhaṅgassa bhāvanāya.