Generally, people use belief and faith interchangeably and also define belief and faith in different ways.
As per definition
Belief: an acceptance that something exists or is true, especially one without proof.
Faith: complete trust or confidence in someone or something because he/she knows it.
However, looking deeper, this would be:
Belief: Acceptance because someone has said it, or knows it and it exists to be true and that theory or that concept works and that person knows, but I don’t know it and yet ‘believe it’ to be true
Faith: Complete trust since not only it is relied as truth, but also can be demonstrated through various experiments and experiences one or many could have due to “success” of such experiments and hence deemed to be true.
Now coming to Buddha Dhamma, following questions are valid and we can find answers through sutta and dhamma. Let us first list out the questions.
1. Should one have FAITH or BELIEF or both?
2. Are they both same?
3. Does BELIEF leads to FAITH eventually?
4. Does FAITH leads to BELIEF?
Why these questions have come up?
This is because of a sutta, Bālapaṇḍitasutta wherein Buddha explains about who is a ‘fool’ or ‘childish’ (bāla )and who is an ‘astute’ or ‘learned’ (paṇḍitā). In this sutta, Buddha explains three characteristics that make up a ‘childish behaviour’ and three characteristics that make up a ‘learned’ behaviour.
While explaining, he indicates and enumerates various hell realms and the sufferings one as a ‘childish or foolish behaviour’ would undergo there and heavenly experiences where an ‘astute or learned’ would undergo.
Considering this, should we take it with ‘BELIEF’ or with ‘FAITH’ or both?
Answers:
1. Applying the above definitions, if we were to take it by belief, then we have not experienced and ‘believe’ that it exists or happens in this way as it is indicated likewise. We are ‘believing’ since Buddha has said so. What if these enumerations and explanations would have been provided by an Arahat whom we don’t know or by say Ven.Sariputta or Ven.Moggallana or by any other Thero who had this insight. Would we be able to take it to be ‘true’ and still believe it?
I’m sure, there would arise doubt on such existences (hell and heavenly realms) since it has not transformed into faith, as there is no such experiences for myself. Doubt is one of the strongest hindrance on the path.
We need to cultivate FAITH and not just rely on BELIEF. By definition and what we experience, they both are not the same as belief can change dependent on situations while faith stands firm on its own footing as it is seen the way things are and not as the things being presented. This answers to the above TWO questions.
As regards to the third question – BELIEF does not lead to FAITH eventually as there is considerable work to be done to get faith as results starts to be seen and only acceptance is required for belief and only relying on it. There is hardly any work to be done for having a belief system.
Finally, Faith does not lead to Belief as they both are fundamentally different as explained above.
2. Now, let us solve this using the Buddha Dhamma and through various sutta step by step.
FIRST STEP to develop FAITH by thorough understanding of
a. aniccā -Everything deteriorates or diminishes or reduces moment to moment.
b. dukkha – Pain one has to undertake to ‘reduce’ deterioration by supplying necessary conditions. Also, one will be able to penetrate into first noble truth.
c. anattā – One just follows process and finds that there is ‘no person’ or ‘personality’. If the process is working, then person is fine, else it is otherwiseness. Example: Eating as a process, sleeping as a process, excretion as a process, digestion as a process, breathing as a process. There is nothing like “I’m eating”, “I’m digesting” etc.,
There is nothing to be believed here once we see and experience aniccā, dukkha and anattā. This transforms into tremendous faith and that is what is required.
SECOND STEP: Once we get through this stage, it is all about cleansing the mind or conscisousness (viññeyyā) of impurities (major being sensual which has iṭṭhā kantā manāpā piyarūpā kāmūpasaṁhitā rajanīyā) and that is what makes a being go around in circles.
A good sutta for reference is Paṭhamamārapāsasutta and Kāmaguṇakathā
iṭṭhā – To one’s liking
kantā – lovingly, charming, pleasing
manāpā – can be worked upon, mentally agreeable
piyarūpā – Form being likeable, loveable and enticing
kāmūpasaṁhitā – Joined in sensual pleasures
rajanīyā – rousing enjoyment, rousing sensual pleasure
This brings us to workout to remove 10 immoral deeds as stated in Cundasutta. Along with this, one has to workout in reducing hindrances as indicated in Rukkhasutta and also detailed explanation in this link
THIRD STEP: Is to understand ‘viparinamo dhammo‘ and aññathābhāvī.
viparinama means, anything we do, can lead to ‘unexpected’ results without notice.
aññathābhāvī means, becoming otherwise. Refer to From Ignorance to Awakening
Going through Dutiyadvayasutta is very important. This sutta is named Dutiyadvayasutta which means:
Dutiya – Second
dvaya– Two types
sutta – That what leads to proper knowledge
In this sutta, Buddha explains about how defiled consciousness (viññāṇaṁ) arises due to conditions in eye -> sight ; ear -> sound; nose -> smell; tongue -> taste;
body -> touch and mind -> thought.
It not only arises due to conditions, but can lead to unexpected results and becomes ‘otherwise’.
There is yet another sutta Pathavīdhātusutta which lists out all 5 elemental qualities(dhatu) along with consciousness (viññāṇa) which has nature of aniccā vipariṇāmī aññathābhāvī which is in the same lines of Dutiyadvayasutta.
Another sutta which helps to understand this is Attadīpasutta. Attadīpasutta means “be your own island”. Knowing what FIVE aggregates are all about and how they bring in “dukkha” when these arise and pass away, leading to unexpected results for the pain one has taken to make it as per his or her wish. Thus, working out in such a way that we create an island for oneself and not to rely on anything – either ordinary or extraordinary is most important.
FOURTH STEP: With mind getting reasonably purified, it stops doing actions that bring in bad results and follow those actions which bring in good results. Thus, one gets ‘faith’ in how good results take one to good destination and bad result to bad destinations. By noticing this, mind is no longer impressed to do ‘bad actions’ and if these bad actions happens, the mind is able to notice it and correct its habit formations and pattern.
FIFTH STEP: With FIVE hindrances getting reduced, one is able to establish in Samadhi (maintain a particular state) where his saddhā, virya (energy),
sati (remembrance) and paññā (wisdom) is developing and also balancing creates necessary conditions for attaining jhana’s. Once the jhana’s are properly established, different realms can be seen and one starts interacting with those beings in these existences and seeing for oneself what is indicated in Bālapaṇḍitasutta
We could also see that there are FOUR fears which creates necessary conditions for rebirth while a person is contemplating on jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi, dukkhotiṇṇo dukkhapareto. These FOUR fears are:
1. Ūmi = waves ; kodhūpāyāsa = exhausted due to being upset/angry/hurt
2. kumbhīla = crocodiles; odarika = deep interest in filling stomach with likings
3. Āvaṭṭa = whirlpool; pañcannetaṁ kāmaguṇānaṁ = FIVE ways of sensual stimulants which is 5 senses + expectation of iṭṭhā kantā manāpā piyarūpā kāmūpasaṁhitā rajanīyā
4. Susukā = Shark; mātugāma = woman. In this case, revealing her breasts and pelvic region through scant dressing.
One has to workout to attain stages of Sotapanna, Sakadagami, Anagami and Arahat and can clearly see for himself or herself that it’s his own efforts that lead to awakening and also good or bad destination and not a ‘belief’ system that leads to it.
Thus, he is transformed through saddhā (faith) as he has now experienced all that what Buddha has said and the other four faculties (indriyas) are also ripened.
This leads to having faith in Triple Gems – Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha forever.