Mr. Altig’s Overview of the Wonderful Dharma of the Lotus Sutra

The Fearless Vow Blues is a folk-blues retelling of Chapter 13 of the Lotus Sūtra, where Medicine King and countless Bodhisattvas step forward to promise the Buddha they will spread the Dharma fearlessly, even in an age of corruption and hostility. With acoustic guitar, harmonica, and gospel-tinged rhythms, the song walks through the vow, the prophecy of persecution, the Buddha’s rejection of superficial promises, and the dramatic emergence of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth.

This track blends gritty blues storytelling with timeless spiritual truth — carrying the vow of “not sparing body or life” into a modern voice. It’s a song about courage, rejection, deep roots, and the kind of faith that shines brightest when the world turns dark.

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(Verse 1: The Buddha’s Call)
(Acoustic guitar, steady walking bass)
The Buddha looked around, saw the final hour,
Said, “The age ahead is cruel, and wickedness has power.”
He called out to the sages, “Who will take the post?
To carry on the truth, when I give up the ghost?”

(Chorus: The Fearless Vow)
Oh, we are the messengers, no fear left to spend,
We won’t spare our bodies, we’ll fight till the end.
We’ll preach the Dharma, though the world turns cold,
Buddha, don’t you worry, this vow’s carved in gold.

(Verse 2: The Enemies)
(Harmonica, low and mournful)
We know the bitter trials the future’s gonna bring,
Three kinds of enemies sharpening their sting.
The angry common people, cursing with their breath,
And jealous false priests, who wish us to our death.
They’ll conspire with the mighty, twist the crown around,
Try to drive the Dharma Votary out of every town.

(Chorus: The Fearless Vow)
(With more grit and harmony)
Oh, we are the messengers, no fear left to spend,
We won’t spare our bodies, we’ll fight till the end.
We’ll preach the Dharma, though the world turns cold,
Buddha, don’t you worry, this vow’s carved in gold.

(Bridge: The Rejection)
(Music slows, minor chord shift)
But the Lord looked on and said, “Your vow is good and true,
Yet your roots in this dark world aren’t deep enough for you.
I need more than courage, more than belief,
I need disciples bound by time beyond grief.”

(Verse 3: The Earth Bodhisattvas)
(Music swells, gospel touch, harmonies rising)
Then the ground began to tremble, the earth let out a cry,
And countless golden figures came rising to the sky.
The Bodhisattvas of the Earth, trained in ages long before,
The true disciples chosen for the vow that would endure.
Yeah, their bond runs deeper, a tie that will not break,
The ones ordained to finish, for all living beings’ sake.

(Outro: The Deep Root)
(Harmonica wails, guitar fades on Am)
The truth is in the deep root, the wisdom in the ground,
Only the oldest bond can carry the final sound.