User:ZuluPapa5/Nyingma concept of faith

Faith in Nyingma Buddhist Dharma
In the Nyingma Tibetan Buddhist dharma teachings, faith's essence is to make one's being, and perfect dharma, inseparable. The etymology is the aspiration to achieve one's goal. Faith's virtues are like a fertile field, a wishing gem, a king who enforces the law, someone who holds the carefulness stronghold, a boat on a great river and an escort in a dangerous place. Faith in karma causes temporary happiness in the higher realms. Faith is a mental state in the Abhidharma literature's fifty-one mental states. Perfect faith in the Buddha, his Teaching (dharma) and the Order of his Disciples (sangha) is comprehending the jewels with serenen joy based on conviction.

In the Nyingma "Vast Expanse Heart Essence" preliminary teachings, teacher Patrul Rinpoche (1808–1887) has faith preceding refuge and it is the first step opening the refuge gateway to the three jewels of faith: Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. It is also the first of the seven noble signs of wealth (faith with the six perfections). Lasting and stable faith is important and there are three main kinds: vivid faith, eager faith, and confident faith. A fourth to be aimed for is irreversible faith, when it becomes integral to the person and is refuge's cause, like a house's foundation serving the Dharma's three jewels. While lacking faith is one of the six stains in which the antidotes are the kinds of faith. Faith is a jewel that comes before all else blossoming in the heart’s center. It is the essence of the Three Roots outer support power and it's Dharma’s root.

According to the Nyingma school's Choying Tobden Dorje (1787–1848), the ennobling positive six forms of faith are:


 * 1) Yearning faith stimulating renunciation of rebirth desire to attain awakening freedom.  Arising from disillusionment from life’s suffering.
 * 2) Devoted faith leading to a dedication to supreme ideals. Arising from disillusionment from evil companion’s behavior.
 * 3) Respectful faith in body, speech, and mind with outstanding conscientiousness.  Arising from disillusionment from life’s appearances.
 * 4) Lucid faith that uplifts the mind's positive qualities. Arising from contact with those who represent supreme ideals.
 * 5) Trusting (confidence) faith that ends doubts concerning the teaching’s base, path, and result.  Arising from hearing of the principle of karma.
 * 6) Certainty in faith toward the doctrine, leading to the application, reflecting, and meditating upon it. Arising from hearing and reflecting on Dharma.

Gyatrul Rinpoche (b. 1924) a Payul lineage mediator, in a commentary on the work of Chagmé(Wylie: Kar-ma Chags-med, fl. 17th century) says, faith power enables eliminating the two types of obscurations (i.e. conflicting emotions and obscuration concerning the knowable). Through the power of faith both ontological and phenomenological knowledge arises. Also, both the common and uncommon siddhis arise. He conveys the importance of faith for qualifying disciples who "listen" to the Dharma. This pertains to teaching Mahāyāna, Vajrayāna, and to Atiyoga in particular. Those without faith who are completely involved in the eight mundane concerns are not suitable vessels, and they should not be taught these kinds of Dharma.

Many factors may instill faith, among these, four crucial circumstances are: 1) an authentic spiritual master attendance, 2) wholesome friends, 3) the three jewels and 4) reflection on existence's round of misery, according to Jigme Lingpa. Khenpo Namdrol says the bodhisattva on the accumulation path has faith and so with joining the five powers and five strengths in The Thirty-Seven Factors of Enlightenment, a commentary on the Rigdzin Dupa terma (The Gathering of the Vidyaharas revealed by Jigme Lingpa), which is an inner Guru Rinpoche ritual practice from the Longchen Nyingtik.