Faith

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Faith (Skt. śraddhā; Tib. དད་པ་, Wyl. dad pa, dépa) — one of the fifty-one mental states defined in Abhidharma literature. According to the Compendium of Abhidharma, it belongs to the subgroup of the eleven virtuous states. In the teachings on refuge, it is said to be the gateway to taking refuge, which is of three kinds: vivid faith, eager faith and confident faith.[1]. In the practice of meditation, it is the third antidote, from among the eight antidotes, and is the antidote for laziness.

Definitions

In the Khenjuk, Mipham Rinpoche says:

  • Tib. དད་པ་ནི་ཡང་དག་པའི་གནས་ལ་དང་འདོད་ཡིད་ཆེས་པ་སྟེ་འདུན་པའི་རྟེན་བྱེད་པའོ།
  • Faith is to have a vivid and eager mind towards, and have confidence in, that which is authentic and true. It supports interest. (Rigpa Translations)
  • Faith is admiration of, longing towards, and trust in that which is true. It supports determination. (Erik Pema Kunsang)

Alternative Translations

  • confidence

Notes

  1. See Patrul Rinpoche, The Words of My Perfect Teacher (Boston: Shambhala, Revised edition, 1998), pages 171-176, for more details.

Oral Teachings Given by Sogyal Rinpoche

  • Ventura, 1 December 2016

Further Reading

  • Elizabeth Mattis-Namgyel, The Logic of Faith: the Buddhist Path to Finding Certainty Beyond Belief and Doubt (Boulder: Shambhala Publications, 2018)