Category: The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law
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A 2,500-Year-Old Message Sent Directly to You
We live in what an ancient Buddhist text calls the Jambudvīpa—a world defined by “conflict and attachment.” It’s a description that feels strikingly relevant today, a world where division, anxiety, and self-interest often seem to be the driving forces, echoing in our news feeds and political discourse. In such a world, where can we turn…
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The Greatest Obstacle to Wisdom Is Hiding in Plain Sight
We often experience the search for wisdom as a journey outward. We look for profound truths in ancient books, seek out teachers, or travel to distant places, hoping to find a key that will unlock some hidden clarity. There is a persistent feeling that the answers we need are elusive, something external that must be…
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Beyond Love and Hate: The Buddha’s Radical Path to True Kindness
Most of us strive to be kinder and more compassionate. We want to treat people with respect and wish for their well-being. But if we’re honest, our kindness often comes with conditions. Our personal feelings—our affections and our frustrations, our likes and our dislikes—frequently dictate how we engage with the world. We are naturally warmer…
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The Higher You Climb, The Lower You Must Bow: An Ancient Buddhist Warning on the Perils of Progress
Introduction: The Hidden Trap of Self-Improvement It’s a natural human tendency. After months of discipline, we achieve a long-sought goal—a promotion at work, a new level of fitness, a consistent spiritual practice. In that moment of success, a subtle feeling can arise: a sense of superiority, a quiet judgment of those who haven’t achieved the…
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Why a Buddhist Demon’s Violent Threat is Really a Lesson in Compassion
We often turn to sacred texts expecting to find words of peace and solace. It can be jarring, then, to encounter a passage that sounds like a violent threat, especially when it comes from beings vowing to protect a sacred teaching. How can a demon’s harsh vow to split someone’s head into seven pieces become…
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The Buddha’s ‘Most Arrogant’ Statement Is Actually His Most Compassionate
We’ve all encountered it. That person who declares they are unsurpassed, the best, the one with all the answers. Our natural reaction is often one of suspicion and skepticism. Such claims tend to trigger our distrust, and we dismiss them as pure arrogance—an inflated sense of self-worth born of ego. We are conditioned to see…
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Are You Playing in a Burning House? A Buddhist Parable on the Danger of Blissful Ignorance
Modern life is a masterclass in distraction. Our days are filled with ambitions to chase, desires to satisfy, and an endless stream of entertainment to keep us occupied. We run from one goal to the next, building careers, seeking pleasure, and accumulating experiences, all while feeling productively engaged with the world. We are, by all…
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The Buddha’s Guide to Escaping a Prison That Isn’t There
We often feel trapped by the circumstances of our daily lives, stuck in a routine or a struggle that feels like a prison. It’s a natural human impulse to search for an escape, to dream of a more peaceful, perfect place. An ancient teaching from the Lotus Sūtra, however, offers a radical alternative: freedom isn’t…
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Your Existence is Infinite: Three Liberating Truths from the Lotus Sūtra
We move through our days shadowed by the sense that time is running out, that the clock is always ticking toward an inevitable end. But what if this perception of a single, fleeting lifetime is a profound misunderstanding? An ancient passage from the Lotus Sūtra offers a radically liberating perspective on the true nature of…
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Why the Buddha Claimed to Die: A Surprising Lesson on Motivation from the Lotus Sutra
We’ve all felt it. It is a profound paradox of the human heart: we often discover the true value of a thing only in its perceived absence. This strange quirk of human psychology is central to one of the most profound and surprising teachings in Buddhist philosophy. What if the historical Buddha’s death wasn’t an…
Mr. Altig’s Overview of the Wonderful Dharma of the Lotus Sutra 