Shraddhendriya, Śraddhendriya, Shraddha-indriya: 5 definitions
Introduction:
Shraddhendriya means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.
The Sanskrit term Śraddhendriya can be transliterated into English as Sraddhendriya or Shraddhendriya, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
In Buddhism
Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)
Source: Wisdom Library: Maha Prajnaparamita SastraŚraddhendriya (श्रद्धेन्द्रिय) refers to the “faculty of faith” and represents one of the five faculties (pañcendriya) forming part of the thirty-seven auxiliaries to enlightenment (bodhipākṣika), according to the 2nd century Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra chapter XXXI.—Accordingly, “the true nature (bhūtalakṣaṇa) of dharmas is very profound (atigambhīra) and difficult to probe (durvigāhya), but by means of the faculty of faith (śraddhendriya), he believes in it: this is called the ‘faculty of faith’ (śraddhendriya)”.
Also, “believing in the Path (mārga) and in the good dharmas adjuvant to the Path is the faculty of faith (śraddhendriya)”.
Source: academia.edu: A Study and Translation of the GaganagañjaparipṛcchāŚraddhendriya (श्रद्धेन्द्रिय) refers to the “ability of faith”, according to the Gaganagañjaparipṛcchā: the eighth chapter of the Mahāsaṃnipāta (a collection of Mahāyāna Buddhist Sūtras).—Accordingly, as the Lord said to Brahmā Prabhāvyūha: “[...] (11) Further, ‘the root of good’ is the entrance into the ability of faith (śraddhendriya), ‘merit’ is in accordance with vigour, recollection, and awareness, and ‘knowledge’ is the cultivation of concentration and insight. (12) Further, ‘the root of good’ is to be established in the five powers, ‘merit’ is to understand the limbs of awakening, and ‘knowledge’ is to know the entrance into the path. [...]”.
Mahayana (महायान, mahāyāna) is a major branch of Buddhism focusing on the path of a Bodhisattva (spiritual aspirants/ enlightened beings). Extant literature is vast and primarely composed in the Sanskrit language. There are many sūtras of which some of the earliest are the various Prajñāpāramitā sūtras.
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)
Source: OSU Press: Cakrasamvara SamadhiŚraddhendriya (श्रद्धेन्द्रिय) or “faculty of conviction” is associated with Vīramatī and Surāvairiṇa, according to the Cakrasaṃvara-maṇḍala or Saṃvaramaṇḍala of Abhayākaragupta’s Niṣpannayogāvalī, p. 45 and n. 145; (Cf. Cakrasaṃvaratantra, Gray, David B., 2007).—The Cakrasaṃvara mandala has a total of sixty-two deities. [...] Three concentric circles going outward, the body, speech and mind wheels (kāya-vāka-citta), in the order: mind (blue), speech (red), and body (white), with eight Ḍākinīs each in non-dual union with their Ḍākas, "male consorts".
Associated elements of Vīramatī and Surāvairiṇa:
Circle: kāyacakra (mind-wheel) (blue);
Ḍākinī (female consort): Vīramatī;
Ḍāka (male consort): Surāvairiṇa;
Bīja: goṃ;
Body-part: left ear;
Pīṭha: Godāvarī;
Bodily constituent: snāyu tendons);
Bodhipakṣa (wings of enlightenment): śraddhendriya (faculty of conviction).
Tibetan Buddhism includes schools such as Nyingma, Kadampa, Kagyu and Gelug. Their primary canon of literature is divided in two broad categories: The Kangyur, which consists of Buddha’s words, and the Tengyur, which includes commentaries from various sources. Esotericism and tantra techniques (vajrayāna) are collected indepently.
General definition (in Buddhism)
Source: Wisdom Library: Dharma-samgrahaŚraddhendriya (श्रद्धेन्द्रिय) or simply Śraddhā refers to the “faculty of faith” and represents one of the “five faculties” (pañcendriya) as defined in the Dharma-saṃgraha (section 47), itself forming part of the “thirty-seven things on the side of awakening” (bodhipākṣika-dharma). The Dharma-samgraha (Dharmasangraha) is an extensive glossary of Buddhist technical terms in Sanskrit (e.g., śraddhā-indriya). The work is attributed to Nagarjuna who lived around the 2nd century A.D.
Languages of India and abroad
Sanskrit dictionary
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English DictionaryŚraddhendriya (श्रद्धेन्द्रिय):—[from śraddhā > śrad] mfn. the faculty of believing, [Lalita-vistara]
Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Partial matches: Shraddha, Indriya.
Full-text: Shraddha, Suravairina, Pancendriya, Godavari, Gom, Viramati, Snayu.
Relevant text
Search found 2 books and stories containing Shraddhendriya, Śraddhendriya, Shraddha-indriya, Śraddhā-indriya, Sraddhendriya, Sraddha-indriya; (plurals include: Shraddhendriyas, Śraddhendriyas, indriyas, Sraddhendriyas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra (by Gelongma Karma Migme Chödrön)
IV. The knowledge of the degree of the moral faculties (indriya-parāpara-jñānabala) < [Part 2 - The ten powers in particular]
Note (1): The three faculties of understanding (tri-indriya) < [Part 3 - The three faculties of understanding]
E.4. The Five Faculties (pañcendriya) < [Abhidharma auxiliaries (E): Detailed study of the auxiliaries]
A Dictionary Of Chinese Buddhist Terms (by William Edward Soothill)