has three aspects: (i) full and firm conviction that a thing is, (2) serene joy at good qualities, and (3) aspiration or wish to achieve an object in view. 3 However you put it, faith or belief as understood by most religions has little to do with Buddhism. 4 T h e question of belief arises when there is no seeing—seeing in every sense of the word. T h e moment you see, the question of belief disappears. If I tell you that I have a gem hidden in the folded palm of my hand, the question of belief arises because you 1 An Arahant is a person who has liberated himself from all defilements and impuri- ties such as desire, hatred, ill-will, ignorance, pride, conceit, etc. He has attained the fourth or the highest and ultimate stage in the realization of Nirvana, and is full of wisdom, compassion and such pure and noble qualities. Pukkusati had attained at the
