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Who Counts as a Student of the Lotus Sutra? (The Bar Is Lower Than You Think)
Post 5 of the Awakened State series. The first in a new set of single-book bridge posts—this one into The Ongoing Assembly (Vol I of The Lotus Sutra for the Modern Reader*). About a six-minute read. Most people, when they hear the phrase “student of the Lotus Sutra,” picture a monk. A scholar. Someone with…
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Book Release: The Awakened State: What Buddhist Enlightenment Actually Means
What is enlightenment? Not how to get it. Not how long it takes. Not whether you are getting closer. Just—what is it? What actually happens? What changes, and what stays the same? The Awakened State addresses this question directly, drawing on the Nirvāṇa Sūtra, the Lotus Sūtra, Zhiyi’s Tiantai synthesis, Zen, and the esoteric body doctrines…
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Digging for the Truth
This deeply introspective song uses the metaphor of digging for water in a barren land to represent the journey of seeking truth and self-discovery. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the challenges and rewards of this internal quest, ultimately leading to a wellspring of wisdom and awakening. With a moving melody and inspiring message,…
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Why Two Buddhism Books Disagree About Everything (and Both Are Half Right)
Post 4 of the Awakened State series. Adapted from “The Gap” and “Four Perspectives” in The Awakened State: What Buddhist Enlightenment Actually Means. About a seven-minute read. Walk into the Buddhism section of any bookstore and you will find two kinds of book. The first kind tells you that enlightenment is a neurobiological event—a shift…
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The Alchemy Song
Slow sanctified blues / 12-bar feel / weary, circular, inward-turning Verse 1 I went down to the river, looking for a sign, Asked the old-time healer, said, “Show me something fine.” I been chasing every wonder, every whisper, every flame, But every road I followed brought me back here just the same.They said, “Lift up the mountain, turn the…
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Your Phone, Your Politics, and Your Self-Talk: The Three Fires in Modern Life
The language of the three fires sounds ancient—rāga, dveṣa, moha; greed, hatred, delusion—but the experience is immediate. It is the reason you check your phone before you are fully awake in the morning. It is the reflex that makes you judge the slow driver, the politician, the family member who votes differently. It is the…
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10 Things Enlightenment Is Not
Post 2 of the Awakened State series. Adapted from Appendix E of The Awakened State: What Buddhist Enlightenment Actually Means. About an eight-minute read. Walk into the Buddhism section of any bookstore and you’ll find two kinds of book. One tells you enlightenment is a brain state—a measurable shift you can train your way into.…
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The Question We’re Afraid to Ask: What Does “Enlightened” Actually Mean?
There is a question that sits at the center of Buddhist practice, and almost everyone is afraid to ask it. The question is simple: What is enlightenment? Not “how do I get it.” Not “how long does it take.” Not “am I getting closer.” Just—what is it? What actually happens? What changes, and what stays…
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Recent Releases — The Tiantai Teachings Project
Bringing the Tiantai Tradition into English Two of the most influential Buddhist texts in East Asian history have, until recently, been almost inaccessible to English-language readers. That is no longer the case. The Mohe Zhiguan (摩訶止觀) and the Fahua Xuanyi (法華玄義) are the two foundational works of Master Zhiyi (538–597 CE), the architect of the…
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Students of the Lotus Sutra
How the Sutra Holds Those Who Hold It A question I could not answer alone For some time I have had a quiet feeling about this. When I sit with the Lotus Sutra — reading it, holding it in my mind, returning to it—something happens that I cannot quite name. A sense of being held.…
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Buddhist Wisdom for the Long Night 