When one has faith, one is like a fertile field, in which the shoot of bodhichitta will sprout and grow. Faith is like a great ship crossing the river of cyclic existence. It is like a reliable escort protecting us from our enemies, the afflictive emotions. Like a good mount taking us to the land of liberation. Like a wish-fulfilling jewel accomplishing everything we desire. Like a mighty hero annihilating all that is nonvirtuous. Faith is thus a sublime quality, and for this reason it is the first of the seven noble riches. People who have faith are especially exalted, and yet they are extremely rare, as the Sutra of the Precious Lamp points out: Faith gives birth to delight in the Buddha’s teaching, Faith points the way to the city of happiness and excellence. Faith banishes lack of opportunity, it is the best of all freedoms. Faith turns one from the path of the demons, Faith is what makes one attain Buddhahood. Among the hosts of ordinary beings, Rare are those who have such faith in the Dharma.

𝘈 𝘛𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘓𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘰𝘮: 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘌𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘪 𝘉𝘺 𝘋𝘶𝘥𝘫𝘰𝘮 𝘙𝘪𝘯𝘱𝘰𝘤𝘩𝘦; 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘢𝘥𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘎𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱