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The sudden lightning glares and all is clearly shown, | The sudden lightning glares and all is clearly shown, | ||
Likewise rarely, through the Buddhas’ power, | Likewise rarely, through the Buddhas’ power, | ||
Virtuous thoughts rise, brief and transient, in the world. (1.5)<ref>Blankleder and Fletcher, Way of the Bodhisattva, 32.</ref> | Virtuous thoughts rise, brief and transient, in the world. (1.5)<ref>Blankleder and Fletcher, ''Way of the Bodhisattva'', 32.</ref> | ||
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In the chaos of samsara, with its endless mundane preoccupations and unrelenting ignorance, it is rare to have clear virtuous thoughts. If they happen to occur briefly through the blessings of the Buddha, they fade away as quickly as they appear. Thus, it is important to grasp the opportunities when they appear. | |||
Among the various kinds of virtuous thoughts, righteous faith is fundamental for generating the thought of awakening. It is important to have faith and trust in the Buddha, his teachings, and those following his teachings with proper understanding. Above all, it is important to develop faith and trust in the state of enlightenment, or buddhahood, in the noble qualities and characteristics buddhahood comes with, and in the compassionate engagements of the bodhisattvas. It is mainly through such faith and knowledge gained through study, reflection, and teachings that one would seriously take up the project of generating the thought of awakening. Thus, the Buddha advises in ''The Dhāraṇī Spell of the Jewel Torch'' (''Ratnolkādhāraṇī''): | |||
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|quote-text=Having faith in the Buddha and the qualities of the Buddha, | |||
In the conducts of the heirs of the Buddha, | |||
And in the unsurpassed state of enlightenment, | |||
The superior beings generate the thought of enlightenment. | |||
Faith is a prerequisite, like a mother who nurtures. | |||
It protects and enhances good qualities.<ref>''Ratnolkādhāraṇī'' (''<i>'</i>Phags pa dkon mchog ta la la'i gzungs zhes bya ba theg pa chen po'i mdo''), in Derge Kangyur D145, mdo sde, vol. 57, pa, fol. 63b, purl.bdrc.io/resource/MW22084_0145.</ref> | |||
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Citing such verses, a teacher often elaborates on the benefits of having faith and its crucial role in spiritual transformation with the aim of helping a student generate faith in the teacher, teachings, paths, and results. There is a popular Tibetan saying that goes: "For the hook of the Buddha's compassion to catch hold, sentient beings need the ring of faith." Another popular Buddhist statement found in ''The Sūtra of Ten Dharmas'' (''Daśadharmakasūtra'') says "A person without faith cannot give rise to positive things just as a burnt seed won’t produce a green sprout."<ref>''dad pa med pa'i mi la ni''/ /''dkar po'i chos rnams mi skye ste''/ /''me yis sa bon tshig rnams la''/ /''myu gu sngon po ji bzhin no''//. See ''Daśadharmakasūtra'' (''<i>'</i>Phags pa chos bcu pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po'i mdo''), in Derge Kangyur D53, dkon brtsegs, vol. 40, kha, fol. 166a, http://purl.bdrc.io/resource/MW22084_0053. See also, 'Phags pa 'jam dpal gyi rtsa ba'i rgyud, in Derge Kangyur D543, rgyud, vol. 88, na, fol. 159b, http://purl.bdrc.io/resource/MW4CZ5369_0543.</ref><ref>(link to teachings on faith)</ref> | |||
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