Some Remarks on ‘Saddhā’ (faith)

It is important to understand clearly the complete meaning of the fifth element, namely, ‘faith in the law of cause and effect’. Here, faith is the rendering into Myanman of the Pāli word ‘saddhā’. Grammatically it would mean ‘that which holds and keeps well’.

Just as clear water in which all sediment and impurities have settled down to the bottom can hold the image of the moon, of the sun and keep it well, so also faith, which is devoid of mental defilements, can firmly hold the virtues and attributes of the Buddha (to serve as object for contemplation).

To give another illustration, if a man is not equipped with hands, he would not be able to help himself to jewels lying about him although he sees them. If he does not possess wealth, he would not be able to provide himself with a variety of goods and materials.

Without seeds, there would be no crops nor grains. Similarly, without faith, we cannot acquire the jewels of generosity, morality and development of concentration and insight; (and there can be no enjoyment of the pleasures of the human or deva-world or the bliss of Nibbāna). Hence, the Buddha in His Teaching compared faith to possessing hands, wealth or seeds.

In the Milindapañha Pāli and Atthasālinī Commentary, faith is compared to the crown jewel, ruby, of a Universal Monarch, which has the property of instantly purifying and clearing the water into which it is put, no matter how dirty the water is. In a similar manner, faith dispels instantly all that is defiling the mind and make it pure and clear at once. If the mind is filled with faith, there is no room in it for defilements, such as grief, worry, etc.

How difficult it is to keep the mind steadfastly contemplating on the attributes of the Buddha is within the experience of all good Buddhists. In other words, it is not a simple matter to keep the mind filled with only faith devoid of all defilements. But with practice, one can maintain a pure, clear mind through faith for short periods until, with steadfast effort, one can do so continuously for long periods.

As regards having faith in the law of cause and effect, mentioned above, we should reflect thus: “I will have spent a certain amount of my wealth by offering this dāna, but it will not be spent in vain. Through this act of dāna, I will have developed volitions which is much more precious than the wealth I will have spent. My wealth is liable to be destroyed by five kinds of enemies, but this mental action of volition is indestructible and will follow me through rounds of existence till I attain Nibbāna. Ability to keep the mind clear and pure in this manner is having faith in the law of cause, the mental action of volition.”

And considering the results that would accrue from the mental action, we will come to a very clear, definite conclusion: “Because of this mental action of volition, I will reap beneficial results throughout the rounds of existence, there is no doubt about it”. Reflecting thus and experiencing the exhilarating purity of the mind is having faith in the law of effect.

Thus, it is important to develop, through reflecting on the law of cause or the law of effect, faith which is conducive to purity of mind, for it is the fifth element that strengthens the beneficial results of dāna.