The concept of faith taught by the Buddha merits clarification especially since this is central to understanding the power of sraddha. The Buddha dismissed blind faith out right as this is highly dangerous and very much subject to distorted perceptions and manipulation by dubious quarters. Ever so often we come across reports of blind faith leading to hardships, sufferings, even mass deaths by cults and bigoted religious leaders.
In the Buddha Dhamma, faith is not bound by blind obedience or unquestioning surrender or submission to an External Power or an Almighty Omniscient Being. Instead, faith is rooted in Right Understand and Right Effort in practicing the Sublime Teaching of the Buddha. The Buddha pinpointedly stressed that before accepting a teac
hing, we should investigate and examine whether it is wholesome and conducive to our happiness and peace and does not cause harm to others and Nature all around. This cardinal principle of personal objective investigation is encapsulated in the maxim, “Ehi Passiko”. It is an open invitation to “come and see for oneself the truth of the Sublime Buddha Dhamma” before accepting the religion and practicing the Buddha’s Sublime Teaching.