The Awakening of Faith
East Asian Mahāyāna · mind and awakening
Yoshito S. Hakeda’s translation of the Awakening of Faith includes commentary alongside the translated text.
Translations & sourcesEditions & translators
BDK provides a free English PDF and information about the translated edition.
Edition & attribution
An introduction. Follow the source link below to explore the translated work.
Introductions, reflection questions and added section headings are editorial material, separate from the attributed translation.
The opening image is AI-generated nature artwork created for Buddhist Atlas. It is an evocative companion, not a depiction of the text’s historical setting.
translation · free PDF
Source link checked October 1, 2026. The linked publisher provides the text and its usage terms.
Connections
Guru Viking0
No connected episodes found for this text.
People & teachers3
- Wonhyo
An influential East Asian commentator on this work.
Source
- Max Erdstein
Teaches on this text:
- Awakening of FaithNames this text
- Joseph Goldstein
Teaches on this text:
- Awakening Of FaithNames this text
Traditions & history3
- Huayan
Reception context: the Huayan tradition that developed alongside this influential work.
Source
- East Asian traditions
Study context: this text is included in the Atlas guide to East Asian traditions.
- Huayan
Study context: this text is included in the Atlas guide to Huayan.
Books1
- The Buddhist Teaching of Totality
Related East Asian philosophy: Huayan’s account of mind and interdependence.
Source
Topics2
- Mindfulness & awareness
Explore Mindfulness & awareness across the Atlas.
- Emptiness & not-self
Explore Emptiness & not-self across the Atlas.
Make yourself comfortable
About this textContext & reading guide
The Awakening of Faith brings together a vision of mind, delusion, awakening and the bodhisattva path. It became an influential teaching work in East Asian Buddhism.
Traditionally attributed to Aśvaghoṣa, its authorship and place of composition are debated. Read it as a distinct work with its own explanatory framework, alongside rather than interchangeably with Yogācāra and Perfection of Wisdom texts.