Tag: Anatta

• Does Buddhism Believe in a Soul? The Nirvāṇa Sūtra’s Surprising Answer

  

  If you know one thing about Buddhism, it’s probably this: there is no soul. No permanent self. The teaching is called anattā (Pali) or anātman (Sanskrit), non-self, and it’s the line that separates Buddhism from almost every other religion. Hinduism has the ātman; Christianity has the soul; Buddhism, famously, has neither. What you call “you”…

  William Altig

  August 10, 2026

  Uncategorized

  Anatta, Buddha-nature, Buddhist Philosophy, Buddhist practice, does Buddhism believe in a soul, Lotus Sutra, Nirvana Sutra, no self, Skillful Means, true self

• 5 Surprising Lessons from an Ancient Bodhisattva on How to Face an Overwhelming World

  

  It is a deeply familiar weight in our modern age: we are confronted daily with a seemingly endless tide of global problems, and in the face of such overwhelming need, we feel crushingly inadequate. We look at the scale of what is necessary and, as one ancient text observes, come to “believe that we are…

  William Altig

  October 16, 2025

  Chapter 25, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  Abhaya, Amitabha Buddha, Anatta, Avalokitesvara, Bodhicitta, Bodhisattva, Bodhisattva vow, Buddhist Compassion, Buddhist deity, Buddhist Ethics, Buddhist iconography, Buddhist meditation, Buddhist Philosophy, Buddhist practice, Buddhist psychology, Buddhist Symbolism, Buddhist teachings, Buddhist vows, Buddhist Wisdom, Chapter 25 Lotus Sutra, Chenrezig, Chinese Buddhism, comparative religion, Compassion, compassionate action, dealing with suffering, dependent origination, East Asian Buddhism, emptiness, fearlessness, gender in Buddhism, Goddess of Mercy, Guanyin, helping others, interconnectedness, kannon, karuna, Kumarajiva, Lotus Sutra, Mahayana Buddhism, mindfulness practice, Non-self, oceanic vow, overcoming despair, prajna, pratityasamutpada, Pure Land Buddhism, religious studies, Shantideva, Skillful Means, spiritual hope, Spiritual Transformation, Sunyata, thousand-armed Avalokitesvara, Upaya, wisdom and compassion

• Understanding Existence and Non-Existence in the Lotus Sutra: A Path to Inner Peace

  

  The Lotus Sutra, a revered scripture within Mahayana Buddhism, holds a significant place due to its teachings on the universal potential for enlightenment. It proclaims that Buddhahood, the highest state of wisdom and compassion, is inherent in all beings, irrespective of their social standing or personal history.1 This inclusive message forms the foundation for understanding…

  William Altig

  May 14, 2025

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

  Anatta, Anicca, Bodhisattva, Buddhism, despair, Dharma, Dualistic Perception, Dukkha, emptiness, Enlightenment, Impermanence, Inverted Discrimination, Judgement, Lotus Sutra, Madhyamaka, Meditation, middle way, Mindfulness, Nichiren, Non-attachment, Non-self, peaceful practices, Suffering, Sunyata