Category: Chapter 18
-
“One Word of Praise”
What if everything you’ve been told about spiritual progress is backwards? This song came from reading an ancient Buddhist text—the Lotus Sutra—that completely flips our understanding of how transformation happens. We’re taught that meaningful change requires years of effort, countless hours of practice, immense sacrifice. Grind long enough and maybe, just maybe, you’ll get somewhere.…
-
The Spiritual Loophole: How a Single Moment of Joy Can Outweigh a Lifetime of Effort
We often approach spiritual growth with a certain kind of economic mindset. We believe that to make a meaningful impact—on ourselves and on the world—we must invest heavily. This investment usually takes the form of immense, sustained effort: years of practice, countless hours of study, and profound personal sacrifice. It is natural to admire those…
-
The Merits of Encouraging Others to Hear the Lotus Sutra: An Expert Analysis of Chapter Eighteen
Key Phrase Translation from Buddhist Text Translation Society Translation from Nichiren Information Translation from 500 Yojanas Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma Dharma Flower Sutra sutra called the Lotus sūtra called the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma dhāraṇīs Dharani Bodhisattva dharani bodhisattvas Bodhisattvas who obtain dharanis living with the Bodhisattvas who obtain dhāraṇīs born…
-
The Immeasurable Merits of Hearing and Transmitting the Lotus Sutra: An Analysis of Chapter Eighteen
The Lotus Sutra stands as a cornerstone of Mahayana Buddhism, celebrated for its profound teachings on the universality of Buddhahood and the paramount importance of propagating the Dharma 1. Within this revered text, Chapter Eighteen, entitled “Rejoicing in Accord with Merit and Virtue,” occupies a significant position by elucidating the extraordinary rewards associated with engaging…
-
The Profound Merit of Embracing the Lotus Sutra
This excerpt from Chapter 18c of The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law, by William Altig, a Mahayana Buddhist text in origin, emphasizes the immense merit earned by individuals who embrace and share the Lotus Sutra. The chapter employs vivid imagery and comparisons to highlight the magnitude of this spiritual act. Key…
-
The Immense Merit of Sharing the Lotus Sutra’s Teachings
This document summarizes key themes and ideas from Chapter 18b of The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law, by William Altig, focusing on the extraordinary merit accrued through sharing the Lotus Sutra’s teachings. Core Theme: The act of joyfully accepting and sharing the Lotus Sutra’s wisdom generates immeasurable merit, surpassing even acts…
-
The Infinite Merit of Joyful Acceptance in Mahayana Buddhism
Source: Excerpts from The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law, by William Altig, a Mahayana Buddhist Sutra, Chapter 18a – The Infinite Merit of Joyful Acceptance. Main Theme: This passage explores the immense virtue generated by young individuals who wholeheartedly embrace the teachings of the Buddha (Dharma), specifically referencing the profound impact…
-
Chapter 18–The Profound Merit of Embracing and Sharing the Lotus Sutra
And on that occasion, the Lord spoke the following verses: In the chain, the fiftieth to hear,A single verse from this Sutra clear,With placid mind and joy embraced,Vast merit in their heart is traced. Imagine a man, giving alms with grace,To countless beings, a smiling face,For eighty years, he satisfies,Their earthly needs, ‘neath endless skies.…
-
Chapter 18–The Immense Merit of Sharing the Lotus Sutra’s Teachings
The Lord replied to the great spiritual being Maitreya, “Ajita, imagine this: After the complete passing away of the Enlightened One, if anyone, whether a monk or nun, a male or female lay follower, a wise elder, a boy or girl, hears this teaching and joyfully accepts it. And then, after hearing the sermon, they…
-
Chapter 18–The Infinite Merit of Joyful Acceptance
Then the great spiritual being Maitreya turned to the Lord and asked, “O Lord, when a young person, whether a man or a woman, hears this teaching and joyfully embraces it, how much virtue will be created by such a young man or woman of noble character?” And on that occasion, the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Maitreya…
Mr. Altig’s Overview of the Wonderful Dharma of the Lotus Sutra 