Faith in Buddhism

The act that makes one a Buddhist is Going for Refuge to the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha (the Three Jewels), which means believing that we can rely on them as sources of wisdom and guidance. This confidence or trust is an important dimension of Buddhism: the traditional word is shraddha, and it is often translated as ‘faith’. Devotional practices that express faith are important in every school of Buddhism and every Buddhist country.

Faith is the response of what is ultimate in us to what is ultimate in the universe.

Sangharakshita

It’s important to distinguish what Buddhists mean by faith from any idea of blind belief or submission to the authority of a deity or holy scriptures. The Buddha encouraged his listeners to consider what he said carefully, asking if it made sense or matched their experience.

"Just as a goldsmith tests gold by rubbing, burning, and cutting before buying it, you should examine my words before accepting them." The Buddha in The Gandhavyuha Sutra

However, the Buddha also said that his teachings expressed what he knew from his direct experience - it wasn't an abstract philosophy and he didn’t try to prove that he was correct through logic. In other words, much of what he had to say was, inevitably, beyond the experience of his listeners. So, past a certain point, they would need to trust in him and practice the Dharma with confidence that it would lead them in a helpful direction.

Faith, understood in this way, suggests a wholehearted emotional response to the embodiments of Buddhist values, and it balances wisdom. It’s connected to intuition because it asks us to connect our own deepest intuitions about life with the teachings of the Buddha.

The Three Jewels of Buddhism

The three traditional objects of faith in Buddhism are known as the Three Jewels.

The Buddha is revered as the founder of the Buddhist tradition and the embodiment of Enlightenment. For Buddhists, his achievement in discovering for himself the path to Awakening is the greatest achievement possible.

The Dharma, the Truth the Buddha realised through his Awakening, is revered as the ultimate truth of existence and the means to realise that Truth for ourselves. It is the source of joy, wisdom and liberation.

The Sangha, or community, is revered as the indispensable support for anyone wanting to practice the Dharma and progress towards Buddhahood.

We reverence the Buddha, and aspire to follow Him. The Buddha was born, as we are born. What the Buddha overcame, we too can overcome; what the Buddha attained, we too can attain.
The Triratna Threefold Puja
We reverence the Dharma, and aspire to follow it, with body, speech and mind, until the end. The Truth in all its aspects, the Path in all its stages, we aspire to study, practise, realise.
The Triratna Threefold Puja
We reverence the Sangha, and aspire to follow it: the fellowship of those who tread the Way. As, one by one, we make our own commitment, an ever-widening circle, the Sangha grows.
The Triratna Threefold Puja
We reverence the Buddha, and aspire to follow Him. The Buddha was born, as we are born. What the Buddha overcame, we too can overcome; what the Buddha attained, we too can attain.
The Triratna Threefold Puja
We reverence the Dharma, and aspire to follow it, with body, speech and mind, until the end. The Truth in all its aspects, the Path in all its stages, we aspire to study, practise, realise.
The Triratna Threefold Puja
We reverence the Sangha, and aspire to follow it: the fellowship of those who tread the Way. As, one by one, we make our own commitment, an ever-widening circle, the Sangha grows.
The Triratna Threefold Puja
We reverence the Buddha, and aspire to follow Him. The Buddha was born, as we are born. What the Buddha overcame, we too can overcome; what the Buddha attained, we too can attain.
The Triratna Threefold Puja
We reverence the Dharma, and aspire to follow it, with body, speech and mind, until the end. The Truth in all its aspects, the Path in all its stages, we aspire to study, practise, realise.
The Triratna Threefold Puja
We reverence the Sangha, and aspire to follow it: the fellowship of those who tread the Way. As, one by one, we make our own commitment, an ever-widening circle, the Sangha grows.
The Triratna Threefold Puja