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Faith, purification, and merit

Faith, purification, and merit

Part of an ongoing series of teachings based on Approaching the Buddhist Path, the first book in “The Library of Wisdom and Compassion” series by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Venerable Thubten Chodron.

  • Cultivating believing faith through reasoning and practice
  • How faith and wisdom support each other
  • Benefits of developing faith
  • Relying on the teachings and making efforts to practice
  • Importance of purification and creation of merit in transforming one’s mind

51 Approaching the Buddhist Path: Faith, Practice and Merit (download)

Contemplation points

  1. His Holiness the Dalai Lama says, “Stabilizing our faith increases our resilience.” Why is that so?
  2. “Stable faith is not affected by the opinions of others and prevents discouragement when viewing others’ wrongdoings.” Why is that so?
  3. What is meaning and purpose of prayers in general?
  4. What is most important aspect of Buddha and why?
  5. How does the Buddha protects us? How can we protect ourselves?
Venerable Thubten Chodron

Venerable Chodron emphasizes the practical application of Buddha’s teachings in our daily lives and is especially skilled at explaining them in ways easily understood and practiced by Westerners. She is well known for her warm, humorous, and lucid teachings. She was ordained as a Buddhist nun in 1977 by Kyabje Ling Rinpoche in Dharamsala, India, and in 1986 she received bhikshuni (full) ordination in Taiwan. Read her full bio.