There are different levels of faith. First, “clear faith” refers to the joy and clarity and change in our perceptions that we experience when we hear about the qualities of the Three Jewels and the lives of the Buddha and the great teachers. “Longing faith” is experienced when we think about the latter and are filled with a great desire to know more about their qualities and to acquire these ourselves. “Confident faith” comes through practicing the Dharma, when we acquire complete confidence in the truth of the teachings and the enlightenment of the Buddha. Finally, when faith has become so much a part of ourselves that even if our lives were at risk we could never give it up, it has become “irreversible faith.”

Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

from the book The Excellent Path to Enlightenment: Oral Teachings on the Root Text of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo

translated by Padmakara Translation Group


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• The precious opportunity of a human existence
• The main obstacle to generate bodhicitta
• Ultimate Refuge
• Internalising the teaching
• Urgency
• Causing genuine bodhicitta to grow within