Tag: Conjured City Parable

• The Lotus Sūtra and the Deconstruction of the Zero-Sum Fallacy in Spiritual Attainment

  

  Executive Summar The Lotus Sūtra, a pivotal Mahayana Buddhist scripture (1st-2nd centuries CE), fundamentally redefines spiritual attainment from a zero-sum paradigm to one of universal, interconnected abundance. It asserts that enlightenment is an inherent potential within all beings, accessible to everyone, and mutually beneficial. Through key doctrines and parables, the Sūtra demonstrates that individual spiritual…

  William Altig

  August 1, 2025

  Chapter 10, Chapter 7, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  All Beings Attain Buddhahood, Bodhicitta, Buddha-nature, Buddhahood in Remote Past, Buddhism, Chapter 10 Lotus Sūtra, Chapter 7 Lotus Sūtra, Conjured City Parable, Dharmakaya, Disturbing Emotion, emptiness, Enlightenment, expedient means, interconnectedness, Jealousy, Kumārajīva, Lotus Sūtra, Mahayana Buddhism, Meditation, Mudita, Nichiren, Non-Zero-Sum, One Buddha Vehicle, Phantom City Parable, Philosophy, Religion, Shakyamuni Buddha, Shoho Jisso, Skillful Means, Spiritual Abundance, Spirituality, Sympathetic Joy, T’ien-t’ai, True Aspect of All Phenomena, Universal Benefit, Universal Enlightenment, upāya, Voidness

• The Illusory Oasis: An Analysis of the Parable of the Magic City in the Lotus Sutra

  

  The Lotus Sutra, a cornerstone of Mahayana Buddhism, holds a prominent position in East Asian Buddhist traditions.1 Revered as the final and complete teaching of Shakyamuni Buddha by many, it presents profound concepts such as the One Vehicle (Ekayana) and skillful means (Upaya).1 These doctrines underscore the Mahayana understanding that all Buddhist paths ultimately converge…

  William Altig

  May 10, 2025

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

  Buddhahood, Buddhist Symbolism, Buddhist teachings, Chapter Seven Lotus Sutra, Conjured City Parable, Lotus Sutra, Magic City Parable, Mahayana Buddhism, Nichiren Buddhism, Nirvana, One Vehicle (Ekayana), Phantom City Parable, Skillful Means (Upaya), Tiantai School, Zen Buddhism