Faith in Buddhism | Wikipedia audio article
Channel: wikipedia tts
Date: 15/12/2018

This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Faith in Buddhism


00:03:12 1 Role in Buddhist teaching
00:06:38 2 History
00:07:24 2.1 Early Buddhism
00:12:13 2.1.1 Taking refuge
00:14:47 2.1.2 Through verification
00:18:39 2.1.3 As initial step
00:21:16 2.2 Mahāyāna Buddhism
00:26:22 2.2.1 Tiantai, Tendai and Nichiren Buddhism
00:29:08 2.2.2 Pure Land Buddhism
00:32:42 2.2.2.1 Japan
00:37:02 2.2.3 Zen Buddhism
00:38:15 2.2.4 Avalokiteśvara
00:39:35 2.3 Other historical developments
00:39:45 2.3.1 Deities
00:43:14 2.3.2 Millenarianism
00:45:47 2.4 Modern developments
00:45:56 2.4.1 Buddhist modernism
00:49:20 2.4.2 Twentieth-century Buddhism in the West
00:51:35 2.4.3 Navayāna
00:53:24 3 See also
00:53:40 4 Notes
00:53:49 5 Citations
00:53:58 6 Sources
00:54:07 7 External links



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"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing."
- Socrates



SUMMARY
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In Buddhism, faith (Pali: saddhā, Sanskrit: śraddhā) refers to a serene commitment to the practice of the Buddha's teaching and trust in enlightened or highly developed beings, such as Buddhas or bodhisattvas (those aiming to become a Buddha). Buddhists usually recognize multiple objects of faith, but many are especially devoted to one in particular, such as one particular Buddha. Faith may not only be devotion to a person, but exists in relation to Buddhist concepts like the efficacy of karma and the possibility of enlightenment.
Faith in early Buddhism focused on the Triple Gem, that is, the Buddha; his teaching (the dharma); and finally, the community of spiritually developed followers or the monastic community seeking enlightenment (the saṅgha). A faithful devotee was called an upāsaka or upāsika, a status for which no formal initiation was required. Early Buddhism valued personal verification of spiritual truth highest in attaining such truth, and considered sacred scriptures, reason or faith in a teacher less valuable sources of authority. As important as faith was, it was merely a first step on the path to wisdom and enlightenment, and was made obsolete or redefined at the final stage of that path. Early Buddhism did not morally condemn peaceful offerings to deities. Throughout the history of Buddhism, the worship of deities, often from pre-Buddhist and animist origins, was appropriated or transformed into Buddhist practices and beliefs. As part of this process, such deities were explained as subordinate to the Triple Gem, which still kept a central role.
In the later stratum of Buddhist history, especially in Mahāyāna Buddhism, faith was given a much more important role. Mahāyāna developed the concept of the Buddha Nature, as devotion to Buddhas and bodhisattvas residing in Pure Lands became commonplace. With the rise of the cult of the Lotus Sūtra, faith gained a central role in Buddhist practice, and the development of devotion to the Amitābha Buddha in Pure Land Buddhism further amplified this trend. The Japanese form of Pure Land Buddhism, under the teachers Hōnen and Shinran, believed that only entrusting faith toward the Amitābha Buddha was a fruitful form of practice, as it dismissed celibacy, meditation and other Buddhist practices as no longer effective, or as contradicting the virtue of faith. Pure Land Buddhists defined faith as a state similar to enlightenment, with a sense of self-negation and humility. The impact of faith in Buddhist religiosity became pivotal in millenarian movements in several Buddhist countries, which sometimes resulted in the destruction of royal dynasties and other important political changes.
Thus, the role of faith increased throughout Buddhist history. However, from the nineteenth century onward, in countries like Sri Lanka and Japan, and also in the West, Buddhist modernism has downplayed and criticized the role of faith in Buddhism. Faith in Buddhism still has a role in modern Asia and the West, but is understood and defined differently from traditional interpretations, with modern values and eclecticism becoming more important.  The Dalit Buddhist community, specifically the Nav ...