Three types of faith

Three types of faith (Tib. དད་པ་གསུམ་, dad pa gsum) are identified in Tibetan Buddhism. The three types are:

• inspiration or inspired faith (Tib. དང་བའི་དད་པ་, Wyl. dang ba'i dad pa)
• certainty or confident faith (Tib. ཡིད་ཆེས་ཀྱི་དད་པ་, Wyl. yid ches kyi dad pa)
• faith of aspiration (Tib. འདོད་པའི་དད་པ་, Wyl. ‘dod pa’i dad pa)

Inspired faith

Gampopa states:

[Inspired faith] comes from seeing true teachers and genuine lamas, and from hearing the teachings. Inspiration also arises from visiting sacred sites that affect you so much that tears fill your eyes and your hair stands on end.

Faith of certainty

Gampopa states:

Certainty within faith arises when you have no doubt about any of the Buddha’s teachings, whether detailed or condensed, and so you practice the dharma.

Faith of aspiration

Gampopa states:

Because of the aspiration within faith, you long to purify your obscurations quickly to gain the results of your practice. This applies to whatever practice you do, whether it is a little or a lot. You aspire to have the positive qualities and happiness of the higher realms and liberation.

Sources

• Ringu Tulku (2012), Confusion Arises as Wisdom, Shambhala