Tag: Dharma blues

• The Perfection of Patience

  

  A Poem When swords and sticks and stones arrive, And cruel words cut deep, The ancient Buddha taught a way For strength that we can keep. They call it Kṣānti—patience— But not the quiet kind, It’s not about just taking abuse Or being meek and blind. It’s “determined refusal to be beaten down,” A fire…

  William Altig

  October 11, 2025

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

  accessible Buddhism, ancient wisdom modern voice, anger management, blues lyrics, boundary setting poem, Buddha Nature, Buddhist folk tradition, Buddhist patience, Buddhist philosophy poem, Buddhist Poetry, Compassion and Wisdom, compassionate boundaries, contemplative poetry, courage and compassion, dealing with abuse, delta blues, Dharma blues, Dharma teaching, emotional resilience, empowered compassion, endurance and wisdom, existential folk music, folk wisdom, forgiveness without enabling, healing through strength, inner strength, interfaith wisdom, Karmic Consequences, knowing when to leave, kshanti paramita, letting go of ego, Lotus Sutra, Mahayana Buddhism, meditation on patience, modern dharma, Non-Passive Endurance, non-self teaching, patience and action, patience poem, peaceful resistance, peaceful warrior, philosophical blues, practical spirituality, protective boundaries, protective love, refusing to quit, refusing victimhood, Religious Poetry, resilience poetry, roots music lyrics, Sacred Poetry, self-compassion, self-protection, Setting Boundaries, spiritual blues, spiritual folk song, spiritual strength, spoken word poetry, standing strong, suffering transformation, survivor strength, teaching through music, three types of patience, transformative suffering, unbreakable spirit, walking away poem, walking away with grace, wisdom literature, wise compassion

• The Sound Beyond Words 

  

  (A Folk Blues for the Lotus Path) Sometimes the deepest truths can’t be explained—they have to be sung. This folk blues track takes ancient Buddhist wisdom from the Lotus Sutra and translates it into American roots music. It’s about that moment when thinking stops and something deeper takes over. When the sound itself becomes the…

  William Altig

  October 6, 2025

  Chapter 2, Chapter 26, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  accessible Buddhism, acoustic blues, acoustic storytelling, alternative spirituality, American Buddhism, Americana spirituality, awakening songs, blues meditation, bridge songs, buddhist folk, buddhist music, chanting song, Conscious Music, contemplative folk, contemporary Buddhist music, daimoku, devotional folk, Dharma blues, dharma folk, Dylan-esque, enlightenment blues, fingerstyle blues, Folk Blues, folk philosophy, folk wisdom, grassroots spirituality, harmonica blues, indie folk, interfaith music, Lotus Sutra, mantra music, Medicine King, meditation music, mindfulness music, Namu Myoho Renge Kyo, non-dual music, philosophical folk, porch music, practice songs, roots music, sacred sound, Skillful Means, sound healing, spiritual folk, Spiritual Music, spiritual roots, storytelling blues, teaching songs, Transcendence, transformation music, Upaya, vibrational music, wisdom tradition, world folk fusion

• The Fearless Vow Blues

  

  The Fearless Vow Blues is a folk-blues retelling of Chapter 13 of the Lotus Sūtra, where Medicine King and countless Bodhisattvas step forward to promise the Buddha they will spread the Dharma fearlessly, even in an age of corruption and hostility. With acoustic guitar, harmonica, and gospel-tinged rhythms, the song walks through the vow, the…

  William Altig

  October 5, 2025

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

  acoustic blues, Ancient Wisdom, Blues Folk, Bodhisattvas of the Earth, buddhist blues, Cosmic Blues, Dharma blues, fearless song, Fearless Vow, folk storytelling, gospel blues, gospel folk, Lotus Sutra, Medicine King, mystical folk, protest folk, spiritual blues, timeless dharma, vow of devotion, vow song

• The Threefold Crown Blues

  

  The Threefold Crown Blues is a soulful folk-blues track inspired by Nichiren’s teaching of the Three Virtues — Sovereign, Teacher, and Parent. The song weaves together raw acoustic blues with gospel-style call-and-response, capturing the struggle of human authority and the wholeness found only in the Buddha’s integrated wisdom, compassion, and protective vow. With slide guitar,…

  William Altig

  October 4, 2025

  music, Nichiren

  acoustic blues, acoustic storytelling, awakening music, blues choir, Bodhisattva Path, Dharma blues, dharma folk, enlightenment song, Folk Blues, gospel blues, Lotus Sutra, mystical blues, Nichiren, porch blues, prayerful blues, soulful folk, sovereign teacher parent, spiritual blues, Three Virtues, wisdom compassion courage

• The Bow That Sees

  

  The Bow That Sees is a bluesy folk anthem inspired by the Lotus Sūtra’s teaching of non-contempt. With gritty guitar, mournful harmonica, and gospel warmth, it tells the story of bowing in reverence—even when the world throws stones. This song carries the spirit of Bodhisattva Never Disrespectful: humility in the face of pride, compassion in…

  William Altig

  October 3, 2025

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

  acoustic blues, acoustic storytelling, American roots, Blues Folk, Bodhisattva Never Disrespectful, Compassion, Dharma blues, enlightenment songs, Folk Blues, folk gospel fusion, gospel folk, Lotus Sutra song, meditation music, mindful blues, Non-Contempt, reverence, soulful folk, spiritual awakening, spiritual folk music, The Bow That Sees

• The Quiet Gap Blues

  

  The Quiet Gap Blues is a slow-burning, porch-born folk-blues meditation on patience, presence, and the subtle work of transformation. Over finger-picked guitar and a harmonica’s gentle cry, William sings of that moment between impulse and wisdom—the breath before the word, the silence before the song. It’s a hymn to building one’s inner tower stone by…

  William Altig

  October 2, 2025

  music

  acoustic, acoustic blues, acoustic folk, Americana, Blues, Blues Folk, Deep Listening, Dharma blues, Folk, meditation blues, mindful music, patience song, porch song, singer songwriter, slow blues, Soulful, spiritual blues, the quiet gap blues, William Altig Choir

• New Song: Unfolding Wisdom’s Blues

  

  by The William Altig Choir (Verse 1) Woke up this mornin’, sun a-burnin’ gold Opened the Lotus Sutra, a story ages old Some folks say it’s too deep, too hard to understand Like a hidden treasure, buried deep within the land Oh, they say it’ll bring confusion, darkness to your mind That ain’t the Buddha’s purpose, no, that’s not the path…

  William Altig

  August 10, 2025

  music, Nichiren, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  Buddhism, Buddhist folk song, Buddhist message, Buddhist songwriting, Buddhist study music, Buddhist teachings, Buddhist Wisdom, Dharma blues, dharma folk, Dharma music, enlightenment song, faith, Folk Blues, Lotus Sutra blues, Lotus Sutra song, mindful music, Nichiren blues, Nichiren inspiration, spiritual blues, spiritual folk blues, spiritual harmonica, wisdom blues