Buddhism

===Hearing and learning the Dharma===
In various suttas which present the graduated path taught by the Buddha, such as the ''[[Samaññaphala Sutta]]'' and the ''Cula-Hatthipadopama Sutta,'' the first step on the path is hearing the Buddha teach the Dharma. This then said to lead to the acquiring of confidence or faith in the Buddha's teachings.<ref name=":0" />

Mahayana Buddhist teachers such as [[Yin Shun]] also state that hearing the Dharma and study of the Buddhist discourses is necessary "if one wants to learn and practice the Buddha Dharma."<ref>Yin-shun (2012). "The Way to Buddhahood: Instructions from a Modern Chinese Master," p. 29. Simon and Schuster.</ref> Likewise, in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, the "Stages of the Path" (''Lamrim'') texts generally place the activity of listening to the Buddhist teachings as an important early practice.<ref>See for example, Tsong-Kha-Pa (2015) ''"The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment"'', chapter three. Shambala Pubs.<br /></ref>