Shraddha (Sanskrit) or Saddha (Pali) are words often translated as "faith." But it's important to understand that this is not "faith" as the word is used in other religions.
In the context of religion, many of us use the word "faith" to mean belief in God or some other "higher power." The word also can mean acceptance, without evidence, of religious teachings as factual. But these definitions of "faith" do not apply to Buddhism.
Shraddha means something closer to "trust" or "conviction." It most commonly refers to the conviction that develops from one's own direct experience and practice. It can also mean confidence or trust in oneself and one's practice. in the Saddha Sutta of the Pali Canon, the Buddha compared trust in the dharma to the way birds "trust" a tree in which they build their nests.
Shraddha is strongly connected to the first to parts of the Eightfold Path -- Right View and Right Intention.
