ศรัทธา: บทบาทและความสัมพันธ์ที่เชื่อมโยงกันกับความรู้ในพุทธปรัชญา Saddha: Its Role and Relation to Knowledge in Buddhist Philosophy

บทคัดย่อ

Abstract

This paper aims to study the role of saddha or rational belief and its relation to knowledge in Buddhist Philosophy. From the study it is found that saddha plays an important role in the knowing process since it is both a prerequisite and a necessary condition for arriving at knowledge. Without saddha knowledge is not possible. But saddha itself is not sufficient for knowledge. In order to be approved and classified as knowledge those saddha need to be tested and verified. Only after a person has experienced and realized the truth of those rational beliefs then he can be said to acquire knowledge, and be able to attain salvation or freedom from all pains and sufferings. Knowledge, in this sense, is then the direct or first hand knowledge.
However, it should also be noted that even though saddha is an important and necessary  condition for knowledge, it is only an external factor and a means to knowledge. As in the end when true knowledge is reached a person has no more need for saddha.