Tag: Japanese history

• The Monkey, the Cow, and the Crown Jewel

  

  “The Monkey, the Cow, and the Crown Jewel” is a musical journey into a profound spiritual paradox from 13th-century Japan. Inspired by Nichiren Daishonin’s letter, the Urabon Gosho, the song tells the story of Lord Jibu, a priest described as lacking wisdom and dignity—like a “monkey or a cow”. Yet, he is praised in the…

  William Altig

  October 31, 2025

  music

  Acoustic Guitar, Borrowed Light, Broken Vessel, Buddhism, Cinematic, Contemplative, Crown Jewel, daimoku, Diamond Chalice Precept, Dignity like a Monkey, Dragon Guarding Relics, Epic, Eternal Light, faith, faith alone, Flawed Priest, folk rock, indie folk, Japanese history, Jibu-bō, Latter Day of the Law, Lord Jibu, Lotus Sutra, Mappo, Mappō, Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, Nichiren Buddhism, Orchestral Folk, Philosophy, Primacy of Faith, Seven Generations, Singer-Songwriter, Snake Holding a Gem, Spiritual, Strings, Supreme Jewel, The Monkey the Cow and the Crown Jewel, The William Altig Choir, Theology, Treatise on the Ullambana Service, Uplifting, Urabon Gosho, Wisdom like a Cow, Wonderful Dharma, Śākyamuni Buddha

• Steadfast Faith Amidst Adversity: An Analysis of Nichiren Daishonin’s Counsel to Lord Ueno

  

  I. Introduction: Faith Forged in Adversity Nichiren Daishonin (1222–1282) stands as a pivotal, influential, yet often controversial figure in the rich tapestry of Japanese Buddhist history.1 His teachings, centered on the supreme authority of the Lotus Sutra, sparked both fervent devotion and fierce opposition during the tumultuous Kamakura period (c. 1185–1333). This report undertakes a…

  William Altig

  April 21, 2025

  Nichiren

  Atsuhara Persecution, Bodhisattva, Buddhism, Gohonzon, Gosho, Japanese history, Kamakura period, Lord Ueno, Lotus Sutra, Mappō, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nanjo Tokimitsu, Nichiren Daishonin, religious persecution, Shakubuku