Tag: Altruism

• Beyond Mindfulness: Four Surprising Truths About Real Transformation from the Lotus Sutra

  

  Introduction: The Ancient Text with Modern Answers In our modern quest for wisdom, the path to self-improvement often feels like a deeply personal, inward-facing journey. We focus on optimizing our minds, cultivating inner peace, and achieving individual goals. We are told to “put on our own oxygen mask first” before we can possibly help anyone…

  William Altig

  September 30, 2025

  Chapter 28, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  Acting According to It, Altruism, Bodhisattva Ideal, Causal Interdependence, Chapter 28, Copying, Defiled World in the Later Five Hundred Years, Dharanis, Ekayāna, Keeping the Sūtra, Lotus Sūtra, Mahāyāna Buddhism, Memorizing, Merit Transfer, Miaolo Zhanran, Nichiren, Non-Duality, One Character One Buddha, One Vehicle, Pariṇāmanā, Reading, Reciting, Resolve to Save All Living Beings, Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra, Samadhis, Samantabhadra, Self-Enlightenment, Shakyō, Shikidoku, Universal-Sage Bodhisattva

• 5 Radical Ideas from an Ancient Buddhist Text That Will Change How You See the World

  

  Have you ever stumbled upon an ancient idea that feels shockingly modern? It’s a common experience when exploring the world’s great spiritual texts—finding concepts that resonate with a contemporary urgency, challenging our assumptions about reality, potential, and purpose. Hidden within complex philosophies are often profoundly simple and radical truths. The Lotus Sūtra is one such…

  William Altig

  September 23, 2025

  Chapter 19, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  Altruism, attainment in the remote past, Avalokiteśvara, Bodhicitta, Bodhisattva Ideal, Bodhisattvas of the Earth, Buddhist humanism, Chapter 14, Chapter 19, Devadatta, Dharma Master, Dharma Relic, egalitarian philosophy, Eternal Buddha, Five Practices of a Dharma Teacher, Great Compassion (Mahākaruṇā), Inherent Buddhahood, interconnectedness, Kumārajīva, Lotus Sūtra, Mahāyāna, Merits of the Six Senses, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nichiren Buddhism, Non-duality of Form and Mind (shiki-shin funi), One Vehicle (Ekayāna), peaceful practices, Pratyekabuddha, Provisional Teachings, purification of senses, skilled physician parable, Skillful means (Upāya), three carts and the burning house parable, three carts vs. four carts controversy, Tiantai Buddhism, transformation of perception, Universal Enlightenment, Śrāvaka, Śākyamuni Buddha

• The Immanence of the Eternal Buddha and the Practice of the Lotus Sutra

  

  This briefing document summarizes the core themes and essential facts from the provided scholarly analysis of the Lotus Sutra, particularly focusing on the “Encouragement of Universal-Sage Bodhisattva” chapter (Chapter 28) and its philosophical underpinnings in the “Life Span of the Thus Come One” chapter (Chapter 16). It explores how practicing the sutra fosters a direct…

  William Altig

  September 19, 2025

  Chapter 28, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  Altruism, Buddha land, Chapter 16, Chapter 28, Daheng, Ekayāna, Enlightenment, Eternal Buddha, Four Conditions for Obtaining Sutra, Fugen, Immeasurable Lifespan, kosen-rufu, Lotus Sutra, Mahayana Buddhism, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nichiren Buddhism, One Vehicle, paramitas, Perfect-Sudden Precepts, practice, protection, Reciprocal relationship, Samantabhadra, Self-reformation, Six Perfections, Skillful Means, Spiritual Transformation, Tathagata’s room, Ten Great Vows, Tendai Buddhism, Universal Buddha-nature, Universal-Sage Bodhisattva, Upaya, World of conflict

• The Transformative Assurance of Universal Buddhahood: A Study of the Lotus Sutra’s Impact on Worldview and Conduct

  

  The verses spoken by Śāriputra at the beginning of Chapter Three of the Lotus Sutra, expressing his profound joy and certainty of attaining unsurpassed enlightenment, serve as a powerful introduction to one of Mahayana Buddhism’s most radical and transformative teachings. His declaration, “I shall become a Buddha without fail. I shall be respected by gods…

  William Altig

  May 8, 2025

  Chapter 3, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  Altruism, bodhisattva_ideal, bodhisattva_never_disparaging, buddha_nature, buddhist_philosophy, chapter_three, daily_buddhism, dharma_teachings, enlightenment_for_all, faith_and_perseverance, future_enlightenment, inner_potential, lotus_school, lotus_sutra, mahayana_buddhism, one_vehicle, resilience, respect_and_compassion, shariputra, skillful_means, spiritual_practice, suffering_to_wisdom, Transformation, universal_buddhahood, worldview_shift

• Chapter 14–Mañjuśrī’s Devotion in Times of Doctrinal Decay

  

  Further, Mañjuśrī, the Great Spiritual Seeker (Bodhisattva Mahāsattva), living at the time when the true teachings are falling into decay after the passing away of the Enlightened One (Tathāgata), and who wishes to preserve this Spiritual Teaching (Dharmaparyāya), should distance himself as much as possible from laymen and other spiritual practitioners, living a life devoted…

  William Altig

  January 2, 2024

  Chapter 14, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  Altruism, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva, celestial beings, Charity, Compassionate Teaching, Doctrinal Decay, enlightenment path, Guiding the Misguided, Influencing Minds, Mañjuśrī, Respected Teacher, Solitary Reflection, Spiritual Teaching