I’m William Altig. I write modern Buddhist books on the Lotus Sutra, Tiantai teachings, suffering, dreams, spiritual practice, and awakening.
I came to this practice almost by accident. In the early eighties, fresh out of a Safeway in Portland, OR, with a few groceries in hand, I climbed into a VW van headed to a culture festival in Seattle. That ride led to my first Gohonzon—a peach crate covered with a piece of pajama cloth—and my first gongyo and daimoku. I practiced with that group for a few months, then went looking for Buddhism more broadly on my own. Forty years later, I’m still here, still practicing, still finding the Lotus Sutra speaking directly to whatever I’m living through.
I write because classical Buddhist teaching deserves to meet the questions people are actually living with: how to suffer wisely, speak truthfully, practice steadily, and understand enlightenment without fantasy or spiritual performance. My books include accessible practice companions such as The Awakened State: What Buddhist Enlightenment Actually Means, Petals of Wisdom: A Companion to the Lotus Sutra, and The Long Night series, as well as scholarly translations in The Tiantai Teachings Project, including works attributed to Master Zhiyi.
My peer-reviewed article, “Hellhounds and the Void: The Heart Sūtra as Survival Technology in a Blues Epistemology,” is forthcoming in the Journal of Africana Religions.
I also sing these same teachings. The Lotus Sutra Blues, recorded with the William Altig Choir, carry the same Dharma in a different register—books for the page, songs for what doesn’t fit on a page. Visit Listen to hear them.
I write for readers who want Buddhist wisdom that is spiritually serious, emotionally honest, and practical enough to live with.
Where to Begin
If you are new to my work, start with The Awakened State: What Buddhist Enlightenment Actually Means.
If you are moving through difficulty, dreams, crisis, or spiritual confusion, start with The Long Night’s Guide: Dream Signs and Spiritual Progress in Buddhist Practice.
If you want a reader-friendly entry into the Lotus Sutra, start with Petals of Wisdom: A Companion to the Lotus Sutra.
Buddhist Wisdom for the Long Night 