itipi so bhagavā: araham; sammāsambuddho; vijjācaranasampanno; sugato; lokavidū; anuttaro purisadammasārathi; satthā devamanussānam; buddho; bhagavā’ti.
Thus is he 'the Blessed One' : he is worthy; he is perfectly enlightened; he is perfected in wisdom and ethics; he is the Well-Farer; he is a knower of the worlds; he is the unrivaled guide of those who can be tamed; he is the teacher of gods & men; he is enlightened; and he is blessed.
This chant is found frequently throughout the Pāli Canon, in many different contexts; using SuttaCentral, I found at least 161 instances of the gāthā! The verse is, ultimately, a list of nine qualities for which the Buddha should be celebrated. Beyond the canon, the chant is featured in elaborative texts that expand on each of the nine qualities, as well as in magical "yantra" designs which abbreviate the Buddha's nine virtues into nine initial characters.1
The formula commonly appears as a simple piece of dialogue in stories involving people who had learned about the Buddha’s arrival at some place. In these texts (ex: AN 3.63), word of the Buddha being nearby would have reached an individual or a crowd, and along with that news would come discussions of the Buddha’s reputation, expressed using the pericope of his nine virtues. Often, this serves as a narrative device to introduce people involved in the body of the text, who usually felt inspired to go and visit the Buddha, establishing the occasion for that particular sermon. This context is quite common throughout the Pāli Canon, though more doctrinally-significant instances of the formula relate to the idea of faith.
Looking at texts that feature this formula, we find several Pāli terms that can be translated into English as “faith,” but doing so necessitates stripping the English word of some of its implications, followed by a reintroduction of some nuances lost from the Pāli words in translation.
In English, the word “faith” sometimes suggests the acceptance of a principle in the absence of evidence. In Pāli, this specific sense requires the adjective “amūlikā,” as in “amūlikā saddhā” - “saddhā” being a word for “faith,” with “amūlikā” literally meaning “without root,” or “groundless, unfounded.” In the Canki Sutta (MN 95), the Buddha criticized the Brahmin priests for their “amūlikā saddhā,” since they claimed that the Vedas alone were true, despite the fact that not one single Brahmin could rightly claim to have reached that belief through direct experience, instead relying on merely “chanting what has been chanted before and teaching what has been taught before.”
In Buddhist texts, the idea of “faith” carries an additional connotation: confidence, a conviction gained only through the direct experience which the Brahmins lacked. This sense is generally conveyed even in the basic term “saddhā,” but it can be emphasized with an adjective, as in “ākaravati saddhā,” with “ākaravati” literally meaning “having the quality of method,” or in simpler terms, “supported with good reason.”
This phrase appears in the Vīmamsaka Sutta (MN 47), which records a guideline the Buddha established for his disciples to test him and see for themselves that he was authentically enlightened. In short, the Buddha recommended that monks diligently observe him for an extended period of time in order to examine his behavior - doing so, he assured, would convince them of his ethical purity. He further encouraged monks, after this period of observation, to come and question him directly. Next, he said that monks should learn his teachings, because once they understood some aspect of the doctrine “with direct experiential knowledge” (abhiññāya), they would finally have “confidence in the teacher” (satthari pasīdati). Then, and only then, could a disciple be said to possess “ākaravati saddhā,” which we may now render in English as “faith supported by evidence.”
This is the context which must be understood when we see the ”itipi so” formula connected to the idea of faith. It’s not a mere acceptance that the Buddha possessed these nine qualities; it’s a confidence in that fact! This is why, in the Dutiyasaranānisakka Sutta (SN 55.25), someone who declared that the Buddha possessed these characteristics was described as “having complete confidence in the Buddha” (buddhe ekantagato hoti abhippasanno).
Of course, some 2,500 years later, we cannot observe his behavior or sit down with him to question him. What we can do is investigate the teachings he left behind, begin walking the path he laid out, and see for ourselves what has been achieved by the sangha. In fact, we often see two accompanying formulas alongside the gāthā of the Buddha’s nine virtues: one for faith in the Dhamma, and another for faith in the sangha. Just as one may have “absolute confidence” (aveccappasādena) in the Buddha’s enlightenment, and his possession of the nine virtues, one may also have the same faith in the teachings, which are “open to investigation” (ehipassiko) so that sensible people can discern for themselves (paccattaṁ veditabbo viññūhī) their authenticity. Likewise, we may have faith in the sangha for their dedication to those teachings. In seeing the benefits of the teaching he left behind, those of us in the modern day may still develop a faith in the Buddha.
The suttas make clear the importance of faith in the Buddha. Immediately after becoming enlightened and resolving to teach the Dhamma, the Buddha declared "Open, now, is the door to the deathless! May those who can hear commit to faith!" (MN 26). It is celebrated as "the treasure of faith" (saddhādhana), one of several qualities to which the wise should devote themselves (AN 5.47). When the devout layman Citta was dying, his loved ones asked him for guidance before he passed; with his parting words, he encouraged them to develop "absolute confidence" (aveccappasādena) in the Buddha (represented with the formula of his nine virtues), the Dhamma, and the Sangha, in addition to practicing generosity by making offerings to the virtuous (SN 41.10).
Faith is Fundamental to the Religious Path
Faith is especially important in the role it plays at the beginning of one's religious training. It is the first of the five "factors of effort" (padhāniyangāni) which a disciple must possess if they wish to reach the goal. The Buddha called his religious path the "gradual training" (anupubbasikkhā), the first stage of which involves "someone in whom faith has arisen" (saddhājāto) approaching a teacher (MN 70). That term literally means "faith-born," which better conveys the transformative power of this confident devotion which kickstarts one's religious journey. Similarly, the Buddha placed faith at the beginning of a sequence which culminates in "attaining the truth" (MN 95). He discussed monks as having "gone out of faith from the lay life to homelessness" (saddhā agārasmā anagāriyam pabbajito hoti) (MN 29). Faith is just as important for lay disciples, as well, as we see in the Buddha's advice to his fellow Sakyan, Mahānāma: his countryman asked for advice suitable for laymen, and the Buddha responded with a different presentation of the "factors of effort," beginning with the declaration that "truly, the faithful succeed, Mahānāma, not the faithless" (saddho kho, mahānāma, ārādhako hoti, no assaddho) (AN 11.11).
The Buddha sometimes discussed the stages of religious development using lists of "types of persons." One of the more common lists is a sevenfold scheme that classifies disciples based on the primary quality they rely on as they progress towards enlightenment (ex: AN 7.14). In this scheme, two of the seven classes are distinguished by primarily relying on faith (saddhā). The lowest ranking of the seven is the "faith-follower" (saddhānusārin)2, whose primary quality is "a measure of faith in and love for the Tathāgata" (tathāgate cassa saddhāmattam hoti pemamattam) (MN 70). Despite being the least advanced class of disciple in this scheme, the faith-follower is nevertheless "destined for enlightenment" (sambodhiparāyanā) (MN 22), certain to become a "stream-enterer" (sotapanna) by the end of their life (SN 25.1), at which point they will have guaranteed enlightenment within seven additional lifetimes, forever gone beyond any realm lower than human existence. That evolution of the "faith-follower" is then called "one freed by faith" (saddhāvimutta). This type of disciple is at least a stream-enterer, "freed" from the lower realms, although it's possible for them to be further along the path to enlightenment than stream-entry.
In the above context, we see faith as one of the five "spiritual faculties," where it is called "saddhindriya." It should be noted that even the "faith-follower" possesses all five of these faculties - it is simply the case, for them, that the faculty of faith is the foremost (not exclusive) driving force in their religious growth.
Faith Alone
The Buddha did discuss the reliance on faith alone, however. He was clear that this is less fruitful than a more comprehensive spiritual arsenal. A monk said to "get by with mere faith (in) and love (for the Buddha)" (saddhāmattakena vahati pemamattakena) is likened to a person with only one eye; his monastic brothers shouldn't try to spur him to develop the other faculties through pressuring and reprimanding him, but instead, they should help him preserve and foster that faith, as if they were helping him protect his one good eye (MN 65).
Faith alone is powerful in its own right. A disciple whose only noteworthy quality is "a measure of faith in and love for" the Buddha is still bound for rebirth in a heavenly realm (MN 22).
The Enduring Importance of Faith
While it is true that faith is especially important in the beginning of one's religious journey, one should not have the misconception that it is only important in these beginning stages. It should be seen less like training wheels, to be cast off when one is sufficiently advanced, and more like a corner stone: something established in the beginning which serves as the foundation for everything that comes afterwards. In fact, a disciple's faith in the Buddha's enlightenment is likened to a fortress - "with faith as a pillar" (saddhesiko), one gives up unskillful qualities in favor of skillful ones and keeps themselves pure, safeguarding them from harm (AN 7.67). In his advice to Mahānāma (mentioned above), after the initial five factors, he encouraged a second series of qualities to develop, the first of which being "recollection of the Tathāgatha" ( tathāgatam anussareyyāsi), represented by the formula of the Buddha's nine virtues.
This brings us to the topic of "Buddha-Recollection" (buddhānussati), a meditative practice wherein one focuses on the Buddha's nine virtues as the object of concentration. This is always represented by the formula of his nine virtues. It often appears alongside other such meditations, most commonly Dhamma-Recollection, wherein one focuses on the wonderful qualities of the Buddhist teachings, as well as Sangha-Recollection, which instead uses the virtues of the monastic community as the object of concentration.
Still, there is textual precedence for focusing on Buddha-Recollection primarily; in the Dhajagga Sutta (SN 11.3), the Buddha spoke of a celestial war in which Sakka, lord of the gods, encouraged the “Gods of the 33” to look up at his flag if they found themselves gripped by terror. This, they were told, would dispel their fear. If Sakka’s flag couldn’t be seen, they were encouraged to seek out the flags of a series of other gods instead. Likewise, the Buddha told his monks that, if they found themselves feeling afraid while in solitude, they should focus their minds on his nine virtues through Buddha-Recollection to regain their confidence. If they couldn’t effectively do this, they were encouraged to try Dhamma-Recollection next, and finally, Sangha-Recollection if necessary.
Functionally, the practice can be understood by looking at the terminology: "anu" is a prefix signifying an intentional repetition, modifying the base "sati" which means "remembering" or "calling to mind."3 In other words, it involves concentrating on the Buddha's nine virtues, meditating by consciously thinking about each of these qualities over and over. The suttas describe this as having a purifying effect on one's mind, like scrubbing one's head vigorously to wash out dirt (AN 3.70). The mind, when made pure in this way, gives rise to a clarity and a joy that accompanies freedom from "the mental corruptions" (cittassa upakkilesā). Five such corruptions are named specifically, described like impurities (such as lead) which can contaminate gold, making it brittle: sense-desire (kāmacchando), ill-will (byāpādo), sloth & torpor (thinamiddha), restlessness & worry (uddhaccakukkcca), and doubt (vicikiccha). When these forces are present in the mind, they act as obstacles, weighing us down and keeping the mind from settling into the "pliable, workable" state required to develop the powerful concentration called "samādhi." Immersed in samādhi, one may achieve a number of incredible mental powers or even break through to perfect enlightenment (AN 5.23). This purification is described slightly differently elsewhere (ex: AN 6.25). There, the mind is said to be purified of passion (rāga), hatred (dosa), and delusion (moha). This makes the mind "steadfast" (ujugata), and "greed" (gedho) for the five sensory pleasures (kāmaguna) is left behind.
The Buddha encouraged disciples - including lay followers - to engage in this practice throughout all parts of their lives: "while walking, standing, sitting, lying down, working, and caring for children at home" (AN 11.12).
Throughout the Buddha's ministry, he often discussed his teachings in terms of the benefits one may experience as a result of following them. These can be classified into three categories: benefits in the present life, benefits in future lives, and benefits which conduce to the ultimate goal of perfect enlightenment. Faith in the Buddha's enlightenment may be effective to all three of these ends.
Subduing fear while in solitude (SN 11.3)
Subduing the fear of what follows death (SN 55.27)
Subduing physical pain (SN 55.26)
Nurturing happiness (SN 55.31)
Prosperity (SN 55.44)
An especially fortunate heavenly rebirth (SN 40.10)
Stream-entry (precluding rebirth in the lower realms) even with other character flaws (SN 55.24 & 55.25, AN 3.75)
Stream-entry (beginning one's irreversible progression towards enlightenment) (SN 55.4)
As detailed above, Buddha-Recollection can purify the mind to a state which allows one to develop samādhi, readying themselves to attain awakening.
Notes
[1] Piya Tan, SD 15.7
[2] The fact that the "faith-follower" ranks below the "Dhamma-follower" or "follower of the teachings" (dhammānusārin) is established in SN 48.13.
[3] Piya Tan, SD 15.3
Bibliography
Tan, Piya : Sutta Discovery 15.3 - A 6.10 - (Chakka) Mahānāma Sutta
Tan, Piya : Sutta Discovery 15.7 - Buddhânussati