Faith can be a tricky subject for Buddhists. As Sharon Salzberg explains in a past Tricycle article, the idea of having faith can be difficult for those who associate the concept with “mindless belief” or the possibility of being judged by others for “one’s degree of compliance.”
In the following video, Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi gives a brief overview of the the four protective meditations—recollection of the Buddha, lovingkindness, contemplating the unattractive nature of the body, and the mindfulness of death—and speaks in detail on the first meditation in that series.
“The recollection of the Buddha is intended to strengthen the faculty of faith . . . Faith is what inspires and impels us in the practice,” Bhikkhu Bodhi says. “Buddhist faith, or saddha, doesn’t mean the blind acceptance of teachings as unquestionable dogmas. Rather, faith suggests what I would call a combination of trust in the Buddha as a fully enlightened teacher, confidence in the Buddha and his guidance, and feelings of devotion and reverence toward the Buddha.”
Learn more about how faith can strengthen our practice: