Tag: human revolution

• What a 13th-Century Monk, Exiled and Sentenced to Die, Knew About Resilience That We’re Just Rediscovering

  

  We all know the feeling. Life is moving along, and then, without warning, a challenge appears that knocks us off our feet. It could be a professional setback, a personal crisis, or a wave of obstacles that leaves us feeling powerless and wondering what we did wrong. We strive, we hope, we pray, but sometimes…

  William Altig

  October 12, 2025

  Nichiren

  Active power, Bonnō soku bodai, Buddha-nature, Buddhahood, daimoku, Earthly desires are enlightenment, esho funi, faith, Gego, Gohonzon, Great Mandala Gohonzon, Gyōgaku nigyō, human revolution, Jigyō, Kamakura period, Karmic Retribution, Keta, kosen-rufu, Latter Day of the Law, Lessening one’s karmic retribution, Lotus Sutra, Manifestation from within, Mappo, Moji-mandala, Naikun, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nichiren Buddhism, Nichiren Daishonin, Non-Duality, Object of devotion, oneness of life and environment, Practice and study, Practice for oneself, Practice for others, propagation, protection, Protection from without, Protective powers, Receptive protection, Sado Island, Sairen-bo, Shakubuku, Shohō-Jissō Shō, Tatsunokuchi Persecution, Tenju kyōju, The True Aspect of All Phenomena, Transformation of Suffering

• 5 Ancient Buddhist Teachings from the Lotus Sūtra That Will Change How You See Reality

  

  For many, Buddhist enlightenment seems like a remote, almost unattainable goal. We picture it as the reward for a lifetime of monastic discipline, reserved for a select few who renounce the world. It feels like a distant peak, shrouded in mist, accessible only to the most dedicated spiritual athletes. The Lotus Sūtra, one of the…

  William Altig

  September 29, 2025

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

  Arhatship, Bodhicitta, Bodhisattvayāna, Buddha’s Universal Vow, Buddha-nature, Chapter 16 “Life Span of the Thus Come One”, Chapter Two “Expedient Means”, Compassion (Karuṇā), Conventional Truth (Saṃvṛti-satya), daimoku, dependent origination, emptiness (śūnyatā), Eternal Buddha, human revolution, Inherent Potential, Knowledge that Separates, Knowledge that Unites, Lotus Sūtra, Mahāyāna Buddhism, Myōhō-renge-kyō, Nichiren School, One Vehicle (Ekayāna), Original Enlightenment (Hongaku), Parable of the Burning House, Parable of the Prodigal Son, Pratyekabuddhayāna, Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra, Skillful Means (Upāya-kauśalya), three thousand realms in a single moment of life, three vehicles, Tiantai School, Ultimate Truth (Paramārtha-satya), Universal Enlightenment, upāya, Wisdom (Prajñā), Śrāvakayāna

• The Allegory of “Wonders” in the Lotus Sūtra and Modern Buddhist Practice

  

  This briefing document examines the allegorical interpretation of “wonders” in Chapter Twenty-Seven of the Lotus Sūtra, “The Former Deeds of King Wondrous Splendor,” and how these ancient narratives translate into meaningful modern Buddhist practice. It highlights the transformation of supernatural feats into metaphors for internal and social change, emphasizing compassion, self-control, resilience, and respect as…

  William Altig

  September 20, 2025

  Chapter 27, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  “Wonders” allegory, #Resilience, abhijna, ṛddhi, bodhisattva way, Brahmanism, Buddha’s ambivalent view, Buddha-nature, Chapter 27, Cloud Thunder Sound Constellation King Flower Wisdom, collective liberation, compassionate propagation, Divine Ear, Divine Eye, Engaged Buddhism, enlightenment (bodhi), Equanimity, ethical conduct, Freedom by Undefiled Wisdom, fundamental ignorance, human revolution, Internal Transformation, karma, King Wonderful Adornment, Knowledge of Others’ Minds, Lotus Sutra, Mahayana Buddhism, modern Buddhist practice, Nichiren’s teaching, non-duality of person and environment (Eshō Funi), Patanjali’s Yoga-sūtra, personal transformation, Pure Eye, Pure Storehouse, Pure Virtue, purification of mind, Recollection of Past Lives, respect for all beings, self-belittling attitudes, sharing the Dharma, siddhis, six abhijñā interpretation, Six Paramitas, Skillful Means (Upaya), social engagement, social peace, spiritual powers, supernatural feats, Supernatural Powers (ṛddhi), Tathagata, Teachers of the Law chapter, Theravada tradition, Tiantai patriarch Zhanran

• 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

• The Buddha’s Declaration and the Universal Way

  

  Date: September 3, 2025 Subject: An analysis of the Buddha’s declaration in Chapter Five of the Lotus Sūtra and its implications for understanding universal enlightenment. Executive Summary: Chapter Five of the Lotus Sūtra features a seemingly audacious declaration by the Buddha: “I know the Way. I have opened the Way. I will expound the Way.…

  William Altig

  September 6, 2025

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

  Absolute Happiness, Buddha’s Declaration, Buddhist Community, Buddhist Philosophy, Buddhist teachings, Chapter Five, Compassionate Function, Cosmic Audience, daimoku, Devotional Text, Dharma, Dharma Rain, Diverse Beings, Enlightenment, Eternal Buddha, Gods Men Asuras, Great Cloud Metaphor, human revolution, Individual Effort, liberation, Living Buddha, Lotus Sūtra, Mahayana Buddhism, Nichiren School, Non-Duality, One Vehicle, Parable of the Medicinal Herbs, Rhetorical Strategy, sangha, Self-mastery, Shakyamuni, Skillful Means, Spiritual Authority, Spiritual Capacities, Spiritual Progress, Three Thousand Realms in One Thought Moment, Tiantai School, Universal Buddhahood, upaˉya, Zhiyi

• Nichiren’s Path to Enlightenment

  

  This briefing document provides a comprehensive review of key themes and essential facts from the provided source, “Nichiren’s Path to Enlightenment,” focusing on the transformative power of consistent individual action within a collective context. I. Introduction: The Transformative Power of Persistent Individual and Collective Action The core message of Nichiren’s philosophy, particularly as articulated in…

  William Altig

  August 22, 2025

  Nichiren

  13th century Japan, Adversity, and delusion, Buddhahood, Buddhism, Buddhist Philosophy, collective action, collective spiritual unity, cosmic axis, daily spiritual actions, drops of water, Enlightenment, Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land, faith, faith like fire, faith like water, fires of greed, Gohonzon, hardship, hatred, human revolution, Ichinen Sanzen, individual action, inseparability of life and environment, Kamakura period, kosen-rufu, Latter Day of the Law, Lotus Sutra, many in body, Mappō, Meditation, Merit, Mongol invasion, Mt. Sumeru, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, natural disasters, Nichiren, Nirvāṇa, On Selecting the Right Time, one in mind, particles of dust, perfect enlightenment, Persecution, perseverance, personal revolution, Philosophy, political instability, Pure Land on earth, pure Law, Religion, Rissho Ankoku Ron, rivers of hardship, roots of goodness, sangha, sea of the Lotus Sutra, Senji-shō, Shakyamuni Buddha, single element of mind, social unrest, societal peace, spiritual attainment, spiritual crisis, Spiritual Development, spiritual grit, Spirituality, three thousand realms in a single moment of life, transformation of the land, transforming karma into mission, unshakeable life state, votary of the Lotus Sutra, widespread propagation of the Mystic Law

• 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

• Nichiren’s Practical Path to Joy and Wisdom

  

  This briefing reviews the core tenets of Nichiren Buddhism, with a particular focus on its accessible, everyday approach to faith and practice, as exemplified in Nichiren’s “Letter to the Nun Myoichi.” It draws primarily from an essay titled “Unveiling Everyday Faith: Nichiren’s Practical Path to Joy and Wisdom in the ‘Letter to the Nun Myoichi’,”…

  William Altig

  July 27, 2025

  Nichiren

  “Letter to the Nun Myoichi”, “Winter Always Turns to Spring”, Absolute Happiness, Accessible Practice, Buddha, Buddha-nature, Buddhahood, Buddhism, daimoku, Delusion and Enlightenment, Everyday Faith, faith, Faith Practice Study, Harmonious Relationships, human revolution, Kamakura period, Karma Transformation, kosen-rufu, Lotus Sutra, Meditation, Namu Myoho Renge Kyo, Nichiren, Nichiren Buddhism, Non-Duality, Nun Myoichi, Philosophy, Religion, Sado Island, SGI, Simultaneity of Cause and Effect, Tatsunokuchi Persecution

• 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