Sometimes you will hear a story told of a hermit who was pronouncing his mantra wrong, and a travelling Lama called to see him. The Lama corrects the hermit and goes off on his travels. But as he leaves he hears the hermit calling him, and sees him running across the surface of a lake to ask again about the ‘correct’ pronunciation. The moral of course being that pronunciation doesn’t maketh the saint. Funnily enough Donald Lopez, in Prisoners of Shangrila, has pointed out that this story was in fact told by Tolstoy at the end of the 19th century (read The Three Hermits online). It was a Russian folktale told about three Christian hermits. How did it come to be a Buddhist, and indeed Tibetan, story? My guess is that it was quoted in The Autobiography of a Yogi (p.309) by Paramhansa Yogananda, first published 1946, and from there into Buddhist circles via enthusiastic yogis.

A devoted meditator, after years concentrating on a particular mantra, had attained enough insight to begin teaching. The student’s humility was far from perfect, but the teachers at the monastery were not worried.
A few years of successful teaching left the meditator with no thoughts about learning from anyone; but upon hearing about a famous hermit living nearby, the opportunity was too exciting to be passed up.
The hermit lived alone on an island at the middle of a lake, so the meditator hired a man with a boat to row across to the island. The meditator was very respectful of the old hermit. As they shared some tea made with herbs the meditator asked him about his spiritual practice. The old man said he had no spiritual practice, except for a mantra which he repeated all the time to himself. The meditator was pleased: the hermit was using the same mantra he used himself — but when the hermit spoke the mantra aloud, the meditator was horrified!
“What’s wrong?” asked the hermit.
“I don’t know what to say. I’m afraid you’ve wasted your whole life! You are pronouncing the mantra incorrectly!”
“Oh, Dear! That is terrible. How should I say it?”
The meditator gave the correct pronunciation, and the old hermit was very grateful, asking to be left alone so he could get started right away. On the way back across the lake the meditator, now confirmed as an accomplished teacher, was pondering the sad fate of the hermit.
“It’s so fortunate that I came along. At least he will have a little time to practice correctly before he dies.” Just then, the meditator noticed that the boatman was looking quite shocked, and turned to see the hermit standing respectfully on the water, next to the boat.
“Excuse me, please. I hate to bother you, but I’ve forgotten the correct pronunciation again. Would you please repeat it for me?”
“You obviously don’t need it,” stammered the meditator; but the old man persisted in his polite request until the meditator relented and told him again the way he thought the mantra should be pronounced.
The old hermit was saying the mantra very carefully, slowly, over and over, as he walked across the surface of the water back to the island.

The Buddha doesn’t encourage us to let go of passion, but to let go of greed, hatred, and delusion. These are sometimes called “the passions” but that’s not to say that strong emotions of love and compassion are discouraged. The word “passion” in this sense means “uncontrolled emotions” or even “emotions that lead to suffering” (the origin of the word “passion” is a Latin word meaning “suffering.” Buddhism in fact encourages us to cultivate a love for beings that is as strong as “a mother’s love for her only child” (see the Karaniya Metta Sutta).

You’re right about it having been Shakyamuni who expounded the vows at Manjushri’s request. As for divided sections, it seems that Srivandana is going by Hsuan-tsang’s translation, which is divided into chapters, one of which is “The Importance of Faith.” The sutra is available here (PDF).

p.s. to srivandana, in the Sutra on the Merits of the Fundamental Vows of the Master of Healing Tathagata, Manjusri Bodhisattva did not recite the 12 great vows of Medicine Buddha. he only requested Shakyamuni Buddha to talk about Medicine Buddha and his great vows and the merits of his practices for our benefits. it is Shakyamuni Buddha who preached the 12 great vows of Medicine Buddha.
Also if srivandana is refering to the above sutra, there is no section entitled “the importance of faith”. the sutra itself does not have any divided sections, unlike the Diamond Sutra. the whole sutra is one whole sermon on faith in Medicine Buddha.