Tag: Lotus Sūtra

• Why an Ancient Text Says You’re Already a Buddha

  

  Introduction: The Long Road to Enlightenment? The journey to enlightenment is often portrayed as an epic undertaking, a path of gradual cultivation requiring countless lifetimes of discipline and the accumulation of merit. The very concept of “countless kalpas (eons)” suggests a goal so distant it feels almost unattainable for an ordinary person. But what if…

  William Altig

  October 2, 2025

  Chapter 17, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  Ajita, Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi, Bodhi Tree, Bodhimaṇḍa, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Maitreya, Chapter 17, Degenerate Age, Dharma-kāya, Distinctions in Merits, Ekayāna, Eternal Lifespan, Immediate Enlightenment, Immediate Equivalence, Inherent Buddhahood, Latter Day of the Law, Living Relic, Lotus Sūtra, Maitreya, Mappō, Meritorious Practice, Nichiren Buddhism, Non-Duality, One Vehicle, Persecution, Practitioner Status, six pāramitās, Sokushin Jōbutsu, Stūpa Mandate, Supreme Perfect Enlightenment, Tiantai Buddhism, Votary, World of conflict

• 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

• Beyond Mindfulness: Four Surprising Truths About Real Transformation from the Lotus Sutra

  

  Introduction: The Ancient Text with Modern Answers In our modern quest for wisdom, the path to self-improvement often feels like a deeply personal, inward-facing journey. We focus on optimizing our minds, cultivating inner peace, and achieving individual goals. We are told to “put on our own oxygen mask first” before we can possibly help anyone…

  William Altig

  September 30, 2025

  Chapter 28, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  Acting According to It, Altruism, Bodhisattva Ideal, Causal Interdependence, Chapter 28, Copying, Defiled World in the Later Five Hundred Years, Dharanis, Ekayāna, Keeping the Sūtra, Lotus Sūtra, Mahāyāna Buddhism, Memorizing, Merit Transfer, Miaolo Zhanran, Nichiren, Non-Duality, One Character One Buddha, One Vehicle, Pariṇāmanā, Reading, Reciting, Resolve to Save All Living Beings, Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra, Samadhis, Samantabhadra, Self-Enlightenment, Shakyō, Shikidoku, Universal-Sage Bodhisattva

• 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

• 4 Unexpected Truths About Power from an Ancient Buddhist Text

  

  Introduction: Beyond Miracles We are often fascinated by the idea of hidden potential and supernatural powers. Stories of ancient masters performing cosmic feats capture our imagination, making us wonder about the limits of human capability. We look for a hidden key, a secret technique that might unlock some dormant, magical force within us. But what…

  William Altig

  September 28, 2025

  Chapter 21, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  Bodhisattvas of the Earth, Changing Poison into Medicine, Chapter Twenty-One, Earthly Desires Lead to Enlightenment, Entrustment, Essential Teaching, Eternal Vow, Jinzū-riki, Joyful Display, kosen-rufu, Lotus Sūtra, Mystic Law, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nichiren Buddhism, Skillful Expedient, Superior Practices, supernatural powers, The Joyful Display of the Buddhas, Transformation, upāya, Śākyamuni Buddha

• 5 Mind-Bending Truths from a 2,000-Year-Old Buddhist Verse That Will Change How You See Everything

  

  1.0 Introduction: The Four-Line Verse That Unlocks a New Reality Imagine a scene from deep antiquity: atop the sacred Vulture Peak, the Buddha addresses a cosmic assembly of gods, dragons, celestial musicians, and all manner of beings, both human and non-human. This epic setting is a deliberate signal that the teaching to come will shatter…

  William Altig

  September 25, 2025

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

  Advaita Vedanta, anātman (no-self), Bhaiṣajyarāja, Brahman, Buddhahood, Chapter Ten, Cosmic Assembly, dependent origination (pratītyasamutpāda), emptiness (śūnyatā), equality and differences of all things, eternal Pure Land, eyes of the Buddha, gatha, keep this sūtra, Lotus Sūtra, Madhyamaka school, Mahayana Buddhism, Mappō, Medicine-King Bodhisattva, Nichiren Buddhism, Nirvana, Non-attachment, non-duality (Advaya), Nāgārjuna, Offerings, One Vehicle (Ekayāna), Saha world, Samsara, seven parables, Skillful means (Upāya), spiritual healing, Taoism, third eye, Tiantai Buddhism, Ultimate Truth, virtue of giving (dāna-pāramitā), Vulture Peak, wisdom eye, Wonderful Dharma, ātman

• A 25-Year-Old Father with 100-Year-Old Sons: 3 Shocking Truths from an Ancient Buddhist Text

  

  Introduction: The Puzzle at the Heart of the Lotus Sūtra Ancient spiritual texts are often filled with baffling paradoxes. These seemingly impossible scenarios aren’t mistakes; they are deliberate puzzles designed to shatter our ordinary understanding and reveal a deeper, more profound truth. One of the most striking examples of this comes from the Lotus Sūtra,…

  William Altig

  September 24, 2025

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

  Analogy of the Young Father, Bodhisattvas of the Earth, Chapter 15 Emerging from the Earth, Chapter 16 Life Span, Eternal Buddha, expedient means, Hōben, Lotus Sūtra, Mahayana Buddhism, Maitreya Bodhisattva, Nichiren Buddhism, Parable of the Skilled Physician, Paradox of the Young Father and Old Sons, Shakyamuni Buddha, Sincere Questioning, Superior Practices, Tendai school

• 5 Radical Ideas from an Ancient Buddhist Text That Will Change How You See the World

  

  Have you ever stumbled upon an ancient idea that feels shockingly modern? It’s a common experience when exploring the world’s great spiritual texts—finding concepts that resonate with a contemporary urgency, challenging our assumptions about reality, potential, and purpose. Hidden within complex philosophies are often profoundly simple and radical truths. The Lotus Sūtra is one such…

  William Altig

  September 23, 2025

  Chapter 19, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  Altruism, attainment in the remote past, Avalokiteśvara, Bodhicitta, Bodhisattva Ideal, Bodhisattvas of the Earth, Buddhist humanism, Chapter 14, Chapter 19, Devadatta, Dharma Master, Dharma Relic, egalitarian philosophy, Eternal Buddha, Five Practices of a Dharma Teacher, Great Compassion (Mahākaruṇā), Inherent Buddhahood, interconnectedness, Kumārajīva, Lotus Sūtra, Mahāyāna, Merits of the Six Senses, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nichiren Buddhism, Non-duality of Form and Mind (shiki-shin funi), One Vehicle (Ekayāna), peaceful practices, Pratyekabuddha, Provisional Teachings, purification of senses, skilled physician parable, Skillful means (Upāya), three carts and the burning house parable, three carts vs. four carts controversy, Tiantai Buddhism, transformation of perception, Universal Enlightenment, Śrāvaka, Śākyamuni Buddha

• The Empowering Presence and Protection of Universal-Sage Bodhisattva in the Lotus Sūtra

  

  This briefing document reviews the main themes and important ideas surrounding Universal-Sage Bodhisattva (Samantabhadra/Fugen) as presented in the concluding chapter of the Lotus Sūtra, “Encouragement of Universal-Sage Bodhisattva.” It addresses the nature of his vow, the role of dhāraṇīs and “supernatural powers,” the significance of Jambudvīpa, and the enduring legacy of these teachings in various…

  William Altig

  September 17, 2025

  Chapter 28, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  Abhijñā, Avalokiteśvara, Bhaiṣajyarāja, Bodhisattva, Buddha-nature, Dharma, Dhāraṇī, Divine Aid, Enlightenment, External Aid, Fugen, Higher Knowledges, Internal Cultivation, Jambudvīpa, karma, Kōsen-rufu, Lotus Sūtra, Mañjuśrī, Mahāyāna Buddhism, Meditative Aid, Mnemonic Device, Mount Meru, Nichiren Buddhism, Parinirvāṇa, Practice (Caryā), protection, Protective Incantation, Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtra, Samantabhadra, Six Perfections, Six Tusks, Skillful means (Upāya), spiritual energy, supernatural powers, Tendai school, Tiantai School, Universal-Sage Bodhisattva, vows, White Elephant, Śākyamuni Buddha

• Lotus Sūtra’s Hidden Enlightenment

  

  I. Executive Summary Chapter Eight of the Lotus Sūtra marks a profound turning point in Buddhist thought, where five hundred of the Buddha’s monks realize the limitations of their previous spiritual attainments. Their declaration, “The Nirvāṇa we attained was Only part of the immeasurable treasures of yours. We were like a foolish man with no…

  William Altig

  September 15, 2025

  Chapter 8, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  altruistic mission, Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, Arhat, awakening, Bodhisattva, Bodhisattvayāna, Buddha, Buddha-nature, Buddhist path, Chapter Eight, Compassion, devotional practices, Dharmakāya, Dukkha, Ekayāna, emptiness of all phenomena, emptiness of self, expedient means, foolish man, Hinayāna, immeasurable treasures, impartial compassion, Latter Day of the Law, Lotus Sūtra, Mahāyāna, monks, Mystic Law, Nichiren Buddhism, Nichiren Daishonin, Nirvāṇa, non-dual, One Vehicle, Parable of the Burning House, parable of the jewel in the robe, Parinirvāṇa, personal liberation, Provisional Teachings, realization, recitation, revaluation, Samsara, spiritual complacency, Spiritual Journey, Suffering, Tendai, three vehicles, Tiantai, transcription, treasure tower, Universal Enlightenment, universal salvation, upāya, Zhiyi, Śrāvakayāna