Tag: emptiness

• A 13th-Century Monk’s Paradox That Reimagines Enlightenment

  

  We often picture spiritual wisdom as a distant peak, accessible only to the most dedicated climbers. The common cultural image suggests that the deepest truths are complex, abstract, and reserved for an elite few—monks, scholars, or gurus who have spent decades in seclusion and study. We assume that the path to enlightenment is an arduous…

  William Altig

  October 18, 2025

  Nichiren

  Buddha-nature, Common Teaching, daimoku, Democratization of Enlightenment, Doctrinal Classification, emptiness, faith, Five Periods and Eight Teachings, Great Concentration and Insight, Latter Day of the Law, Law-Power, Lotus Sutra, Mappo, middle way, Myoho-renge-kyo, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nichiren, One Buddha Vehicle, Other-Power (*tariki*), Paradox of Truth, Perfect Teaching, Provisional Existence, Provisional Teachings, Risshō Ankoku Ron, Self-Power (*jiriki*), Skillful Means, Specific Teaching, Spiritual Elitism, T’ien-t’ai Zhiyi, The truer the teaching the lower the stage, Threefold Truth, Tientai, Tripitaka Teaching, True Teachings, Upaya, Wonderful Dharma

• 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

• When Patience Becomes Power: 5 Ancient Lessons for Handling Modern Life

  

  In our modern lives, we’re taught to brace for the constant barrage of criticism, personal attacks, and overwhelming hardship. The struggle is mentally and emotionally exhausting, often leaving us feeling fragile and depleted. But what if there was a different way—a method for cultivating an inner strength so profound it could not be shaken by…

  William Altig

  October 11, 2025

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

  Anutpattikadharmakṣānti, Avīci Hell, Bodhisattva Path, Buddha Nature, Buddhanusmrti, Chapter Ten, Compassion, Dharma Teacher, Dukkha, Ekayāna, emptiness, endurance, Equanimity, Eternal Buddha, Forbearance., Great Teacher Zhiyi, hōbō, Kṣānti Paramita, Latter Day of the Law, Lotus Sūtra, Mahayana Buddhism, Mahākaruṇā, Mappo, Nichiren, Non-Dual Reality, Non-Passive Endurance, Non-self, One Vehicle, Patience, Persecution, prajñā, Recollection of the Buddha, Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtra, Setting Boundaries, Skillful Means, Slander of the Dharma, Sticks, Stones, Suffering, Swords, Tathāgatagarbha, Tiantai, Tile-pieces, upāya, wisdom

• The Lotus Light of Non-Classification

  

  Beyond the walls of what is fixed and named, The Bodhisattva finds the quiet path. No “superior” or “inferior” is proclaimed, No vehicle to stoke the ego’s wrath. The ultimate truth is Ekayāna’s Single Flow, Where doctrines are but skillful, timely tools, And sectarian pride is simply seen to grow From clinging to the provisional, and not the rules. The Vihāra…

  William Altig

  October 1, 2025

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

  Anārambha-vihāra, Anātman, Aparigraha, Bodhisattva, dependent origination, Dharma Verse, Egolessness, Ekayāna, emptiness, Equanimity, Lotus Sutra, Mahāyāna Buddhism, Non-Classification, Non-Dual Perception, Non-Grasping, peaceful practices, prajñā, Pratītyasamutpāda, Single Vehicle, Spiritual Pride, Upekkhā, wisdom, Śūnyatā

• The Counter-Intuitive Path to Peace: A 2,000-Year-Old Guide to Not Judging the World

  

  When we think of peace, we often imagine a quiet room, a tranquil landscape, or a life free from conflict. We see it as an external condition—something to be found by arranging the world around us in a pleasing way. But what if this entire understanding is a misconception? A profound teaching from the ancient…

  William Altig

  October 1, 2025

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

  Anārambha-vihāra, Anātman, Aparigraha, Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī, Bodhisattva Practices, Brahmavihāras, Chapter 14, Craving, Curiosity, dependent origination, Doctrinal Hierarchy, Dogma, Domination, Egolessness, Ekayāna, emptiness, Equanimity, ethical conduct, Grasping, Happily Dwelling Conduct, Lotus Sūtra, Meditative Discipline, Metaphysical Status, Nirvāṇa, Non-Classification, Non-Clinging, Non-Dual Perception, peaceful practices, Phenomenal Classification, prajñā, Pratītyasamutpāda, Provisional Teachings, Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtra, Samsāra, Samādhi, Single Vehicle, Skillful Means, Spiritual Pride, Taṇhā, three vehicles, triyāna, Understanding, Upekkhā, upāya, Vedanā, Vihāra of Practice, wisdom, Śūnyatā, Śīla

• 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

• The Patient Vow in the Lotus Sūtra

  

  I. Executive Summary This briefing document synthesizes the core themes and critical insights from “The Patient Vow: A Theological and Psychological Analysis of Compassion in Chapter 14 of the Lotus Sūtra” and its review. The central argument is that Chapter 14 of the Lotus Sūtra, particularly the teachings on “Peaceful Practices” (Anrakugyō), provides a sophisticated…

  William Altig

  August 3, 2025

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

  Anrakugyō, Bodhisattva, Bodhisattva vow, Buddhism, Buddhist Feminism, Burnout, Chapter 14, Compassion, cosmic time, Delaying Nirvāṇa, Ekayāna, emptiness, Great Fault, Great Loss, Kalpas, karuṇā, Kṣānti, Lotus Sūtra, Mañjuśrī, Mahāyāna Buddhism, Meditation, Non-Judgmentalism, One Vehicle, Patience, Patient Vow, peaceful practices, Philosophy, prajñā, Priceless Gem Parable, Psychological Analysis, Reflective Practice, Religion, Rules of Association, Self-Perfection, Skillful Means, Spiritual Hygiene, Spiritual Practice, Spiritual Pride, Spirituality, Sukhivihāra, upāya, wisdom, Yogācāra, Śūnyatā

• 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

• 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

• The Power of Faith and Patient Practice: Unlocking the Ultimate Dharma in the Lotus Sūtra’s Chapter Fifteen

  

  I. Introduction: The Lotus Sūtra and the Call to Engaged Faith A. The Apex of Mahayana Teachings The Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtra, commonly known as the Lotus Sūtra, occupies a position of paramount importance within the vast corpus of Mahayana Buddhist scriptures. Revered across East Asia and beyond, it is often hailed as the “King of…

  William Altig

  May 2, 2025

  Chapter 15, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  Bodhisattvas of the Earth, Buddha Nature, Chapter 15, compassionate action, Dharma, Ekayana, Emerging from the Earth, emptiness, faith, five balas, Gohonzon, Honmon, Ichinen Sanzen, karuṇā, kṣānti-pāramitā, Lotus Sutra, Mahayana Buddhism, Mappō, Mystic Law, Myōhō-renge-kyo, Nichiren, One Vehicle, patient practice, prajñā, Prajnaparamita, Shakumon, Skillful Means, spiritual powers, Tendai, Three Truths, Tiantai, Upaya, wisdom, śraddhā-bala, śūnyatā