?raddh?

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Śraddhā (Skt.). ‘Faith’, personified as a goddess in Hinduism. She kindles in worshippers the faith to approach Agni (and other gods) without which offerings are in vain.

In Buddhism (Pāli, saddhā), śraddhā is devoted commitment to the Buddha and his dharma: it underlies as a prerequisite the first two stages of the Eightfold Path (aṣṭangika-mārga). In Mahāyāna, it is a fundamental trust, especially in the help of bodhisattvas. From its devotion to Amitābha (Amida), Pure Land is sometimes known as ‘The Way of Faith’.

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