Tag: Arhat

• 5 Ancient Buddhist Teachings That Will Radically Change Your Self-Perception

  

  1.0 Introduction: The Ancient Thirst for Reassurance Have you ever felt trapped by your own mind? Caught in a loop of the same fears, self-doubts, and mental habits, it can feel like you’re fighting a battle against an opponent who knows your every move. We can feel so defined by our past mistakes and limitations…

  William Altig

  October 24, 2025

  Chapter 6, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  Amrita (Nectar), Arhat, Assurance of Future Buddhahood, Avidyā (Ignorance), Bodhisattva, Buddha-fields, Buddha-nature (Tathāgatagarbha), Buddhahood, Buddhata, Chapter Six, Cosmic Therapy, Doctrinal Analysis, Ekayāna, Enlightenment, Existential Fear, Habitual Tendencies (Vāsanā), Joy (Prīti), Juki-hon, Jāmbūnadābhāsa, karma, Kleshas, Lotus Sutra, Mahayana Buddhist Soteriology, Mahā-Kātyāyana, Mahā-Kāśyapa, Maudgalyāyana, Mental Afflictions, Nectar of Assurance, One Vehicle, Parable of the Burning House, Prophecy of Buddhahood, Psychic Powers (ṛddhi), Psychological Intervention, pure lands, Raśmiprabhāsa, Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra, Shou Ji Pin, Skillful Means (Upāya-kauśalya), Subhūti, Tamālapatracandanagandha, Tendai, Tiantai, Triyāna (Three Vehicles), Vyākaraṇa, Wisdom of Emptiness (Śūnyatā), Śrāvaka

• This 2,000-Year-Old Text Is a Recipe for Life—Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Just Read It

  

  Introduction: The Gap Between Knowing and Doing There’s a well-known gap between knowing something in theory and understanding it through experience. An old metaphor captures this perfectly: you can read a recipe for a meal, memorize every ingredient, and understand the chemistry of cooking, but you will remain completely ignorant of the food’s taste. True…

  William Altig

  October 8, 2025

  Chapter 5, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  Arhat, Bodhicitta, Bodhisattva, Bodhisattvas of the Earth, Buddha-nature, Burning House Parable, Chapter Two, Compassion, dṛṣṭi, Ekayāna, Engaged Buddhism, expedient means, insight, Insight of the Buddha, kosen-rufu, kōans, Lotus Sūtra, One Vehicle, Pedagogy, practice, prajñā, Pratyekabuddhas, Prodigal Son Parable, Pāramitās, realization, Recipe analogy, Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtra, Samsara, Six Perfections, Skillful Means, Tathāgata, Tathāgatagarbha, Theravada Buddhism, three vehicles, upāya, vipassanā, wisdom, zazen, Zen Buddhism, śrāvakas

• The Joy of Awakening Buddha-Nature in the Lotus Sūtra

  

  I. Introduction: The Radical Shift of the Original Teaching This briefing document examines the profound implications of faith and joy as presented in Chapter 17 of the Lotus Sūtra, particularly in light of the preceding Chapter 16, “The Life Span of the Thus Come One.” Chapter 16 marks a pivotal doctrinal shift from the “trace…

  William Altig

  September 18, 2025

  Chapter 17, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  Ajita, Arhat, Bodhisattva, Buddha’s longevity, Buddha-nature, buddhadhātu, cetasika, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, dana, Dharmakaya, dhyana, diligence, Distinction of Merits, Dukkha, Ekayāna, Eternal Buddha, firm faith, generosity, human revolution, imaginary city, joy, joyful interest, Kṣānti, kleśa, Lotus Sutra, Maitreya, Meditation, Merit, morality, Nichiren, Nirvāṇa, One Vehicle, original teaching, parable of the jewel in the robe, Parable of the Prodigal Son, Patience, Pratyekabuddha, prīti, Pāramitās, rapture, Saṃsāra, saṅkhāra-kkhandha, Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtra, Sakyamuni Buddha, sila, Skillful Means, sukha, Tathagatagarbha, The Life Span of the Thus Come One, three vehicles, Tiantai School, Trace Teaching, triyāna, Upaya, vedanā-kkhandha, virtue, Visuddhimagga, vīrya, zest, Zhiyi, Śraddhā, Śrāvaka

• Lotus Sūtra’s Hidden Enlightenment

  

  I. Executive Summary Chapter Eight of the Lotus Sūtra marks a profound turning point in Buddhist thought, where five hundred of the Buddha’s monks realize the limitations of their previous spiritual attainments. Their declaration, “The Nirvāṇa we attained was Only part of the immeasurable treasures of yours. We were like a foolish man with no…

  William Altig

  September 15, 2025

  Chapter 8, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  altruistic mission, Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, Arhat, awakening, Bodhisattva, Bodhisattvayāna, Buddha, Buddha-nature, Buddhist path, Chapter Eight, Compassion, devotional practices, Dharmakāya, Dukkha, Ekayāna, emptiness of all phenomena, emptiness of self, expedient means, foolish man, Hinayāna, immeasurable treasures, impartial compassion, Latter Day of the Law, Lotus Sūtra, Mahāyāna, monks, Mystic Law, Nichiren Buddhism, Nichiren Daishonin, Nirvāṇa, non-dual, One Vehicle, Parable of the Burning House, parable of the jewel in the robe, Parinirvāṇa, personal liberation, Provisional Teachings, realization, recitation, revaluation, Samsara, spiritual complacency, Spiritual Journey, Suffering, Tendai, three vehicles, Tiantai, transcription, treasure tower, Universal Enlightenment, universal salvation, upāya, Zhiyi, Śrāvakayāna

• “Lotus Sutra: Desire and Liberation”

  

  I. Executive Summary This briefing examines excerpts from “Lotus Sutra: Desire and Liberation,” focusing on Chapter Thirteen’s depiction of Bhikshunis Maha-Prajāpatī and Yaśodharā receiving prophecies of Buddhahood. The analysis addresses a central paradox: how the fulfillment of a desire, even for liberation, can bring immediate and profound peace, given Buddhism’s teaching that desire is the…

  William Altig

  September 14, 2025

  Chapter 13, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  Arhat, Bhikshunis, Bodhisattva, Certainty, Chanda, compassionate action, Desire, Dukkha, Ekayāna, Enlightenment, Epicureanism, liberation, Lotus Sūtra, Maha-Prajāpatī, Mahayana Buddhism, One Vehicle, peace, Prophecy, Psychological Impact, Saṃsāra, Skillful Means, stoicism, Suffering, Taṇhā, tranquility, Universal Buddhahood, Upaya, Vyākaraṇa, Women’s Ordination, Yaśodharā

• The Three Treasures of the Dharma Teacher in the Lotus Sūtra

  

  This briefing document synthesizes key themes and concepts from Chapter 10 of the Lotus Sūtra, “A Teacher of the Dharma,” focusing on the Buddha’s instructions to Medicine-King Bodhisattva regarding the three indispensable conditions for propagating the Dharma: the Room, the Robe, and the Seat. It emphasizes the Sūtra‘s unique status, the challenges of the “evil…

  William Altig

  September 12, 2025

  Chapter 10, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  Active Listening, Arhat, Bhaiṣajyarāja, Bodhisattva Practice, Buddha, Buddhahood, Chū, Collection of Merit, Collection of Wisdom, Compassion, Dedicated Work, Dharma propagation, Dharma Teacher, Dialogue, Ekayāna, emptiness, Evil Age, Forbearance, Gentleness, Great Compassion, Inherent Existence, interconnectedness, Interdependence, Kṣānti Pāramitā, Ke, Kū, liberation, Lotus Sūtra, Madhyamaka school, Mahākaruṇā, Mahāyāna Buddhism, Medicine-King Bodhisattva, middle way, Non-judgmental Inquiry, Nāgārjuna, One Vehicle, Parable of the Burning House, Parable of the Prodigal Son, Patience, perseverance, Provisional Existence, Robe of the Tathāgata, Room of the Tathāgata, Saṃsāra, Seat of the Tathāgata, Skillful Means, Spiritual Fortitude, Spiritual Obstacles, Suffering, Svabhāva, Sān Dì, Tathāgata, Three Treasures, Threefold Truth, Tiantai School, upāya, Voidness, Yogācāra school, Śūnyatā

• Buddhist Perspectives on Time, Purpose, and Enlightenment: A Briefing

  

  This briefing synthesizes key themes from the provided source, “Lotus Sūtra: Time’s Immeasurability,” focusing on the Buddhist understanding of time, its implications for spiritual practice, and the path to enlightenment. It aims to address the modern anxiety of “not enough time” by demonstrating how the Sūtra’s teachings transform this perception into a liberating framework for…

  William Altig

  August 2, 2025

  Chapter 16, Chapter 7, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  14th Dalai Lama, Abhidharmakośabhāṣyam, Ajahn Brahm, Arhat, Ayya Khema, Bodhisattva, Bodhisattva’s vow, Buddha, Buddha-nature, Buddhism, Buddhist Philosophy, Busyness (modern delusion), Compassion (Karuṇā), cosmic time, Cosmology, Cyclical time, Dukkha, Enlightenment, Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, Great Compassion (Mahākaruṇā), Great-Universal-Wisdom-Excellence, Ink-powder parable, Kalpas (Aeons), karma, Linear time, Lotus Sūtra, Mahāyāna Buddhism, Mindfulness, Nirvāṇa, Parinirvāṇa, Pema Chödrön, Phantom City Parable, Philosophy, Pratyekabuddha, Precious human birth, Present moment, Religion, Saṃsāra, Skillful means (Upāya), spiritual path, Spiritual Practice, Spirituality, Sumeru-worlds (Cakravāḍa), Temporal Anxiety, Thich Nhat Hanh, Thousand-million-fold world (Trisāhasra-mahāsāhasra-loka-dhātu), time, Wisdom (Prajñā), Yojanas, Śākyamuni Buddha

• Detachment, Karma, and Perceiving Emptiness

  

  Main Themes: Important Ideas/Facts: Key Quotes: Call to Action: The talk encourages listeners to:

  William Altig

  October 30, 2024

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  Arhat, Bodhisattva, Buddhism, Buddhist Philosophy, Causality, consciousness, Diamond Sutra, duality, emptiness, Enlightenment, Heart Sutra, Impermanence, karma, Meditation, Mindfulness, No-Self, Non-Duality, Philosophy, Self, Spirituality, Suffering, zen

• Chapter 9–Rāhula’s Destiny: A Reflection of the Lotus Sutra

  

  Then the Lord turned to the venerable Rāhula-Bhadra and spoke: “Rāhula, in the future, you shall become a Tathāgata, an enlightened one, known by the name ‘The One Going with the Striding Seven-Jeweled Lotus’⁠11[1], an Arhat, endowed with wisdom and virtuous conduct. After honoring and venerating several Tathāgatas equal to the atoms of ten worlds,…

  William Altig

  December 7, 2023

  Chapter 9, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  ancient India, Arhat, Bodhi Tree, Buddhist enlightenment, Buddhist Philosophy, Buddhist Scripture, Buddhist teachings, Buddhist virtues, Chapter 9, Lotus Sutra, Meditation, prince to monk, Rāhula-Bhadra, Seven-Jeweled Lotus, spiritual awakening, Spiritual Journey, spiritual legacy, Spiritual Transformation, Tathāgata, wisdom