Faith and Practice are inseparable and nondual

The 17th Vow is the "Vow of true and real Practice," while the 18th Vow is the "Vow of true and real Faith." Practice and Faith are inseparable and nondual. "Inseparable and nondual" refers to the fact that Namo Amida Butsu (Practice) is the "direct cause of birth.” The direct cause that is Namo Amida Butsu (Practice) works in accordance with the Vow-power of the 17th Vow to reveal itself in the minds of sentient beings; it works with the Vow-power of the 18th Vow to descend to, reflect in, and penetrate the mind of sentient beings, in order to be heard in joyful faith as the direct cause for birth, shinjin. Again, shinjin accords with the Vow-power of the 17th Vow that "my Name shall be heard throughout the ten quarters," along with the law that "(true and real shinjin is) unfailingly accompanied by the Name" to make its manifestation in the mouths of sentient beings become the "practice" of saying the nembutsu. Therefore, the wave of the Vow-power of Namo Amida Butsu actively works on us in the following way: "Practice" (Name) --> "Faith" --> "Practice" (saying the Name). The relationship between the Name (Practice) and shinjin (Faith) is called "Practice-Faith." When talking about Practice-Faith, it denotes "Practice (Namo Amida Butsu) is Faith." The Practice (Name) in the "Chapter on Practice" when carried over to the “Chapter on Shinjin" becomes Faith (shinjin). Therefore, Practice and Faith are inseparable and nondual. Hence, we sometimes say that Namo Amida Butsu (Practice) encompasses Faith, and sometimes that Faith encompasses Practice (Name).