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Heavenly King Brahma
Heavenly King Brahma, Lord of the Saha World, Great Brahma Shikhin, and Great Brahma Brilliant Light is a celestial beings that is believed to play important role in Buddhism. He is specifically mentioned in the Lotus Sutra, and he is a known figure in other Buddhist texts. Heavenly King Brahma, also known as “Brahma Sahampati”,…
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Heavenly Gods
Lord Shakra, also known as Indra, is a god in ancient Indian religion and Hinduism. He is the king of the gods and the ruler of the heavens. He is often depicted as a powerful warrior and is associated with thunder, lightning, and the weather. He is also associated with the practice of generosity and…
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Bodhisattvas
When the Lotus Sutra describes the bodhisattvas-mahasattvas as being free from regressing in their pursuit of Supreme Perfect Enlightenment, it means that they have achieved a level of spiritual development where they are no longer subject to falling back into lower states of consciousness or lower realms of existence. They have reached a state of…
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About the Arhats
Ajnata-Kaundinya, Maha-Kashyapa, Uruvilva-Kashyapa, Gaya-Kashyapa, Nadi-Kashyapa, Shariputra, Maha-Maudgalyayana, Maha-Katyayana, Aniruddha, Kapphina, Gavampati, Revata, Pilindavatsa, Bakkula, Maha-Kaushthila, Nanda, Sundarananda, Purna (son of Maitrayani), Subhuti, Ananda, and Rahula are all considered to be arhats in Buddhism. Ajnata-Kaundinya, Maha-Kashyapa, Uruvilva-Kashyapa, Gaya-Kashyapa, Nadi-Kashyapa were the first five disciples of the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, who attained arhatship under his guidance. They…
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Arhant/Arhat
An arhat (in Sanskrit) or arahant (in Pali) is a term used in Buddhism to refer to a person who has attained the highest level of spiritual attainment, also known as Nirvana or enlightenment. The word “arhat” literally means “worthy one” or “one who is worthy of respect” in Sanskrit. An arhat has achieved the…
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Common Titles of a Buddha
The phrase “Tathagata, Worthy of Offerings, Perfect in True Wisdom and Enlightenment, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Liberated, the Omniscient, the Almighty, Master Trainer, Teacher of Heavenly Gods and Humans, Buddha-Bhagavat” is a long and elaborate description that highlights the various attributes and qualities of a Buddha. This refrain is used to emphasize the greatness…
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Shakyamuni Buddha
In the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha, also known as Siddhartha Gautama, is the central figure and the one who imparts the teachings of the sutra to the assembled assembly of bodhisattvas, gods, and ordinary people. The sutra begins with the Buddha’s decision to teach the Lotus Sutra and his prediction that it will be the…
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Introduction:
The Lotus Sutra, a sacred text of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition, is a beacon of light that illuminates the path to enlightenment for all people. This sutra, which was spoken by the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, expounds upon the ultimate truth of the one vehicle that leads to the attainment of Buddhahood. As a practitioner of…