Tag: Eternal Buddha

• The Lotus Sutra’s Enduring Call in the Latter Day of the Law

  

  This briefing document summarizes the core themes and most important concepts presented in the provided sources, focusing on the Lotus Sutra’s significance, particularly through Nichiren’s interpretation, and its role in personal and societal transformation. 1. The Lotus Sutra: A Foundation for Universal Enlightenment The Lotus Sutra, or Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtra, is a foundational text in…

  William Altig

  July 29, 2025

  Nichiren

  Bodily Reading, Buddha-nature, Buddhism, Chapter 16 Lotus Sutra, Chapter 28 Lotus Sutra, compassionate action, Copying), daimoku, Dōgen Zenji, Ekayāna, Enlightenment, Eternal Buddha, Five Practices of Lotus Sutra (Seeking, Gohonzon, human revolution, Ichinen Sanzen, Kamakura period, Keeping, Latter Day of the Law, Lotus Sutra, Mappō, Meditation, Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō, Nichiren Buddhism, One Vehicle, Philosophy, Propagation., Pure Land (in this world), Pure Land Buddhism, Reading, Reciting, Religion, Samantabhadra, Skillful Means, Societal Transformation, Spirituality, Tendai, Three Great Secret Laws, Three Thousand Realms in a Single Thought-Moment, Tiantai, Transformation, Universal-Sage Bodhisattva, upāya, vow of protection, Zen Buddhism

• The Catalytic Power of Inquiry and the Eternal Buddha in the Lotus Sūtra

  

  Date: July 28, 2025 Subject: Review of “Lotus Sūtra: Questioning and Faith” essay, focusing on key themes and insights from the Lotus Sūtra, particularly Chapters 15 and 16. Source Documents: Executive Summary: The reviewed essay, “Lotus Sūtra: Questioning and Faith,” is highly commended for its “thoroughly researched, textually accurate, and philosophically sophisticated” analysis of Chapters…

  William Altig

  July 28, 2025

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

  “Skilled Physician” parable, Bodhisattvas, Buddhism, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Compassion, Critical Inquiry, Dharma., Enlightenment, Eternal Buddha, faith, Hindering Doubt, inquiry, Kalama Sutta, Lotus Sūtra, Mahayana Buddhism, Mahāparinibbāna Sutta, Maitreya Bodhisattva, Meditation, Milindapañha, Nichiren Buddhism, Personal Verification, Philosophy, Productive Doubt, Religion, Self-reliance, Shakyamuni Buddha, Skillful Means (Upaya), Spirituality, Tiantai, Universal Buddhahood, wisdom

• Unlocking the Lotus Sutra: Insights from Chapter Fifteen

  

  The Profound Revelations of Lotus Sutra Chapter Fifteen – “Emerging from the Earth” This briefing synthesizes the core themes, most important ideas, and factual points from the provided sources on Chapter Fifteen (“Emerging from the Earth”) of the Lotus Sutra. This chapter marks a pivotal transition in the Sutra, shifting from “provisional teachings” (shakumon) to…

  William Altig

  July 25, 2025

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

  Bodhisattva Practice, Bodhisattvas of the Earth, Boundless Practices, Changing Poison into Medicine, compassionate action, Dharmakaya., Emerging from the Earth, Essential Teaching, Eternal Buddha, Firmly Established Practices, Honmon, Karmic Connection, Latter Day of the Law, Life Span Chapter, Lotus Sutra Chapter 15, Mahayana Buddhism, Maitreya Bodhisattva, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nichiren Buddhism, Pure Practices, Roots of Good, Saha world, Shakumon, spiritual awakening, Superior Practices, Tiantai Buddhism, Trace Teaching, Transformation, Universal Enlightenment, Universal Potential

• Navigating Adversity in Nichiren Buddhism – Persecution, Purification, and the Path to Buddhahood

  

  This briefing examines the core themes within Nichiren’s teachings, particularly his understanding of persecution, the role of the “three poisons,” and the transformative power of the Lotus Sutra in the “Latter Day of the Law.” It highlights how adversity is not merely an obstacle but a crucial catalyst for spiritual growth and internal purification, ultimately…

  William Altig

  July 24, 2025

  Nichiren

  Anger, Atsuhara Persecution, Bodhisattva, Buddhahood, Buddhism, Compassion, Eternal Buddha, Ever-Present Buddha Śākyamuni, External Adversity, False Dharma, Feudal Japan, Greed, hōbō, Ignorance, Internal Transformation, Karmic Purification, Latter Day of the Law, Lotus Sutra, Meditation, Miao-lo, Moxibustion, Mystic Law, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, nenbutsu, Nichiren Buddhism, Nyosetsu Shugyō-shō, Persecution, Philosophy, Provisional Teachings, Religion, Saha-World, Self-mastery, Shakubuku, Shakyamuni Buddha, Spiritual Decline., Spirituality, Three Kinds of Enemies, three poisons, True Dharma, Votary, wisdom

• An Analysis of Nichiren’s Metaphor: The Buddha, His Children, Gratitude, and the Calm Mind

  

  1. Introduction The writings of Nichiren Daishonin (1222–1282), the founder of Nichiren Buddhism, are replete with profound metaphors and analogies designed to convey the core tenets of his teachings, rooted firmly in the Lotus Sutra. One such evocative passage asserts: “Since time immemorial all the people on the earth have been the Buddha Śākyamuni’s beloved…

  William Altig

  April 27, 2025

  Nichiren

  Buddha, Buddha-nature, Buddhism, chanting, Confucianism, daimoku, Enlightenment, Eternal Buddha, filial piety, Four Debts of Gratitude, Gohonzon, Gratitude, Hokke Shuyo Sho, Lotus Sutra, mahayana, Metaphor, mind, Nichiren, peace, practice, Soka Gakkai

• The Revelation of Eternity: An Analysis of Chapter Sixteen of the Lotus Sūtra and the Nature of the Eternal Buddha

  

  I. Introduction: The Pinnacle of the Lotus – Unveiling the Eternal Buddha A. Significance of the Lotus Sūtra in Mahāyāna Buddhism The Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtra, or Lotus Sūtra, stands as a monument within Mahāyāna Buddhist literature, widely regarded as one of the most famous, influential, and revered scriptures.1 It presents what many scholars consider a…

  William Altig

  April 23, 2025

  Chapter 16

  Buddha Nature, Chapter Sixteen, Dharmakaya, Ekayana, Enlightenment, Eternal Buddha, faith, Honbutsu, Lifespan of the Thus Come One, Lotus Sutra, Mahayana Buddhism, Merit, Nichiren Buddhism, Nirmanakaya, parinirvana, Sambhogakaya, Skillful Means, Tendai, Tiantai, Trikaya, Upaya

• Unveiling the Eternal Ground: An Analysis of Chapter 15 of the Lotus Sūtra

  

  I. Introduction A. The Lotus Sūtra: Pinnacle of Mahayana Teaching The Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtra, or Lotus Sūtra, stands as a monument in the landscape of Mahayana Buddhist literature. Revered across East Asia and beyond, it is celebrated for its profound doctrines, dramatic narrative style, and its transformative message of universal liberation.1 Often characterized by its…

  William Altig

  April 18, 2025

  Chapter 15

  Bodhisattvas of the Earth, Buddha Nature, Buddhist Philosophy, Buddhist Scripture, Ceremony in the Air, Chapter 15, Dharma, Doubt, Ekayana, Emerging from the Earth, Enlightenment, Essential Teaching, Eternal Buddha, Four Leaders, Honmon, inquiry, Jeweled Stupa, Jogyo, Kuon Jitsujo, Latter Day of the Law, Lotus Sutra, Mahayana Buddhism, Maitreya, Mappo, Narrative Analysis, Nichiren Buddhism, Religious Text, Shakumon, Shakyamuni Buddha, Skillful Means, Superior Practices, Tendai, Theoretical Teaching, Tiantai, Universal Liberation, Upaya

• An Examination of Nichiren’s Assertions on Attaining Buddhahood and Societal Well-being in his Treatise on Prayers

  

  1. Introduction: Nichiren Buddhism, a significant school within the Mahayana tradition, centers its teachings and practices on the Lotus Sutra, revered as the culmination of Shakyamuni Buddha’s fifty years of teachings.1 Founded in 13th-century Japan by Nichiren Daishonin (1222-1282), this school emphasizes the inherent Buddha-nature within all individuals and the possibility of attaining enlightenment in…

  William Altig

  April 12, 2025

  Nichiren

  Buddhahood, Ekayana, Eternal Buddha, hobo, Kamakura period, Kitō-shō, kosen-rufu, Lotus Sutra, Mappo, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nichiren Buddhism, One Vehicle, Pure Land Buddhism, Risshō Ankoku Ron, Sairen-bo, Shingon Buddhism, slandering the Dharma, Ten Worlds, Tendai school, Treatise on Prayers, Universal Buddhahood, Zen Buddhism

• The Enduring Promise: Finding Enlightenment Amidst Hardship in Nichiren Daishonin’s Letter to Myoichi Ama

  

  Nichiren Daishonin (1222-1282) stands as a transformative figure in the history of Japanese Buddhism, renowned for his unwavering devotion to the Lotus Sutra and the establishment of a distinct school of Buddhist thought.1 His life unfolded during the tumultuous Kamakura period in Japan, an era marked by social and political upheaval.6 Amidst this backdrop, Nichiren…

  William Altig

  April 7, 2025

  Nichiren

  13th-century Japan, Atsuhara Persecution, Buddhahood, Buddhist persecution, Compassionate Guidance, daimoku, Eternal Buddha, exile to Izu, Faith and Perseverance, Gohonzon, hardship and enlightenment, human revolution, Komatsubara Persecution, Latter Day of the Law, Lotus Sutra, Mappo, Myoichi Ama, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nichiren, Nichiren Buddhism, Nichiren Daishonin, Nichiren’s letters, Nichiren’s persecutions, One Vehicle, personal transformation, Sado exile, Skillful Means, Tatsunokuchi incident, Three Great Secret Laws, universal salvation, winter and spring analogy

• The Enduring Life Span and Diverse Teachings of the Thus Come One: An Analysis of Chapter Sixteen of the Lotus Sūtra

  

  The Lotus Sūtra stands as a cornerstone of Mahayana Buddhism, revered for its profound teachings on the universal potential for enlightenment. Central to its message is the doctrine of the One Vehicle, which posits that all Buddhist paths ultimately converge towards Buddhahood 1. Chapter Sixteen, titled “The Life Span of the Thus Come One,” occupies…

  William Altig

  April 6, 2025

  Chapter 16

  Bodhisattva Ideal, Buddha-nature, Buddhist Commentary, Buddhist Compassion, Buddhist Doctrine, Buddhist history, Buddhist Pedagogy, Buddhist Philosophy, Buddhist teachings, Chapter Sixteen, Dharma, Discourses, Enlightenment, Eternal Buddha, Jataka Tales, Lotus Sutra, Mahayana Buddhism, Mystic Law, Nichiren Buddhism, One Vehicle, Parables, Religious Inclusivity, Shakyamuni Buddha, Similes, Skillful Means, Spiritual Growth, Tathagata, T’ien-t’ai, Three Bodies of Buddha, Thus Come One, Universal Enlightenment, Upaya