Buddhist Faith in "The Sutra of Queen Srimila's Lion's Roar"

Here's a section from the THE SUTRA OF QUEEN ŚRĪMĀLĀ’S LION’S ROAR WHEREIN IS ARTICULATED SEVERANCE OF ALL DOUBTS, CERTAINTY OF THE COMPLETE MEANING, AND ENTRANCE TO THE WAY OF THE ONE VEHICLE. That's the longest title. The shortest title is "SRIMALA SUTRA," and in between are such titles as "QUEEN SRIMALA’S LION’S ROAR SUTRA" Gunabradha's Chinese translation of the title is "THE SUTRA OF THE COMPREHENSIVE GREAT SKILLFUL MEANS OF THE ONE VEHICLE OF ŚRĪMĀLĀ’S LION’S ROAR."

The translation is my own. This comes from the section relating to the topic of "Articulating the Tathagata’s True Children."

Here the Buddha is speaking to Queen Srimila after approving her previous declarations of the Dharma, and he is distinguishing what makes a person a "true child of the Tathagata." In this exerpt, the World Honored One articulates how faith makes us a true child of the Thathagata.

“If my followers follow with the faith that is most superior, then based on their bright faith they already accord with the innate-intelligence of the Dharma and then attain the ultimate. That which accords with the innate-intelligence of the Dharma (1) investigates the establishment of the field of liberation of the intellect and faculties of sense; (2) investigates karmic retribution; (3) investigates the eye of the Arhat [i.e., the wisdom (prajna) eye seeing the emptiness of all dharmas]; (4) investigates joy of the mind’s autonomy and the joy of meditation (zen); and (5) investigates the noble autonomy and fluency of the Arhats, Independent Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of great power.

“With these five kinds of expedient contemplations accomplished, from within future worlds to come after my nirvana, were my followers, who follow with the faith that is most superior based on their bright faith in accord with the innate-intelligence of the Dharma, to have the pure mind of their own nature there become contaminated by afflictions, yet they would attain the ultimate. Indeed that which is the ultimate is the cause of entering the Way of the Great Vehicle. With that which is faith in the Tathagata there exists great efficacy that does not slander the profound meaning.”