Tag: Mystic Law

• Lotus Sutra Inspired: Awaken the Hero Within You

  

  “Welling Up from the Ground” is a powerful gospel-blues folk anthem inspired by Chapter Fifteen of the Lotus Sutra—the moment when the earth itself trembles, and countless Bodhisattvas rise from the soil of suffering to bring light to the age of darkness. The song blends sacred soul with modern storytelling, featuring rich harmonies, Hammond organ…

  William Altig

  October 28, 2025

  music, Uncategorized

  awakening song, awakening the hero within, Bodhisattvas from the Earth, buddhist folk, buddhist gospel, buddhist music, Chapter Fifteen Lotus Sutra, Compassion, Dharma blues, enlightenment song, enlightenment through music, faith and courage, folk rock, gospel blues, healing through faith, Lotus Sutra, mappo age, Mystic Law, Nichiren Buddhism, roots revival, sacred music, soulful gospel, spiritual awakening, Spiritual Transformation, Superior Practices, The William Altig Choir, uplifting blues

• The Spiritual Loophole: How a Single Moment of Joy Can Outweigh a Lifetime of Effort

  

  We often approach spiritual growth with a certain kind of economic mindset. We believe that to make a meaningful impact—on ourselves and on the world—we must invest heavily. This investment usually takes the form of immense, sustained effort: years of practice, countless hours of study, and profound personal sacrifice. It is natural to admire those…

  William Altig

  October 7, 2025

  Chapter 18, Chapter 2, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  Anumodana, Bodhisattva Path, Cetanā, Chapter 18, Chapter 2, Democratization of Buddhahood, Dharmakāya, Ekayana, faith, Intention, Joyous Bhūmi, Karmaphala, Lotus Sūtra, Merit, Minimal Affirmation, Mystic Law, Non-Retrogression, Offering to the Buddhas, One Vehicle, Pramudita, Rarity, Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtra, Skillful Means, Sympathetic Joy, Udumbara flower, Upāya Kauśalya, Verbal Action, Vāk-karma, Śraddhā, Śāriputra

• 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

• 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

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• The Paradox of Slander in the Lotus Sūtra

  

  Date: September 7, 2025 Subject: An Exegesis of the Lotus Sūtra’s Paradox on Slander: Why Slandering a Practitioner is Graver Than Slandering the Buddha 1. Introduction: The Core Paradox The Lotus Sūtra presents a profound paradox in Chapter 10, stating that “If for the space of an aeon, one were to harbor an unwholesome mind,…

  William Altig

  September 10, 2025

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

  benefiting others, Bodhisattva Never Disparaging, Buddha, Buddhahood, Cause-Awakened Ones, Chapter 10, Chapter 20, Compassion, Cosmology, cutting off seeds of Buddhahood, devilish functions, Dharma emissary, Dharma Masters, Dharma practitioner, Dharma propagation, Ekayāna, emissaries of the Buddha, fundamental ignorance, gravest transgression, Hell of Incessant Suffering, hōbō, immeasurable retributions, kalpa, karmic causality, Karmic Connection, karmic paradox, Karmic Retribution, land and age of evil, living embodiment of the Dharma, lotus flower, Lotus Sūtra, Mahayana Buddhist thought, Medicine-King Bodhisattva, Merit, moral causation, Myoho, Mystic Law, Nichiren Daishonin, One Vehicle, ontological status, Parable of the Plants, Parable of the Three Kinds of Medicinal Herbs and Two Kinds of Trees, Paradox, Persecution, phalavipaka, positive potential, punya, qualitative difference, relics, reverence, Self-Benefit, Shakyamuni Buddha, sharira, Skillful Means, Slander, Slandering the True Dharma, spiritual sabotage, stupa, Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma, Tathagatas, Teacher of the Dharma, Thus Come One, tree and sapling analogy, true entity of life, ultimate Law, Universal Enlightenment, upāya, Venerable Master Hsuan Hua, Voice-Hearers, Votary, Wonderful Dharma, World-Honored One

• Maitreya’s Perplexity and the Eternal Buddha in the Lotus Sutra

  

  Date: August 27, 2025 Subject: Review of Chapter 15 of the Lotus Sutra, focusing on Maitreya’s inquiry and the revelation of the Eternal Buddha. Key Themes: I. Introduction: The Cosmic Unveiling and Maitreya’s Inquiry Chapter 15 of the Lotus Sutra, “Welling Forth from the Earth,” sets a dramatic stage with a vast assembly of Bodhisattvas…

  William Altig

  September 5, 2025

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

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• The Lotus Sūtra’s Ceremony in the Air and its Embodiment in Nichiren Buddhism

  

  Date: September 2, 2025 Purpose: This document provides a detailed review of the “Ceremony in the Air” as depicted in the Lotus Sūtra, its allegorical meanings, and its profound reinterpretation and practical application within Nichiren Buddhism. I. Overview of the Ceremony in the Air (Lotus Sūtra, Chapters 11-22) The “Ceremony in the Air” is a…

  William Altig

  September 4, 2025

  Chapter 11, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

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• Nichiren’s Philosophy of Language in the Lotus Sutra

  

  I. Introduction: The Living Words of the Buddha Nichiren, the 13th-century Japanese Buddhist priest, fundamentally re-envisioned the relationship between the practitioner, the Buddha, and the sacred text. His philosophy centers on the assertion that the written word of the Lotus Sutra is not merely a metaphor or a historical record, but a “dynamic, living manifestation…

  William Altig

  August 31, 2025

  Nichiren

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• The Doctrine of Hōbō (Slander of the Law) in Nichiren Buddhism

  

  Date: August 27, 2025 Subject: An In-Depth Analysis of Hōbō: The Doctrine of Slander of the Law in the Thought of Nichiren Daishonin I. Executive Summary This briefing document provides a detailed review of Hōbō, or “slander of the Law,” a foundational and controversial doctrine in Nichiren Buddhism. Originating with Nichiren Daishonin (1222–1282) during Japan’s…

  William Altig

  August 27, 2025

  Nichiren

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• Embodying the Lotus Sūtra – The Buddha’s Voice in Our Words

  

  This briefing synthesizes key themes from the provided source, “Embodying the Lotus Sūtra: The Buddha’s Voice in Our Words,” focusing on the concept of how a practitioner’s actions and words, rooted in the Lotus Sūtra, can become a vehicle for the Buddha’s compassion and wisdom. It draws extensively from the Lotus Sūtra itself, Nichiren Daishonin’s…

  William Altig

  August 13, 2025

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

  Bodhisattva Constant-Endeavor, Bodhisattva Never Disparaging, Bodily Reading, Buddha-nature, Buddha’s Voice, Chapter 10, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Compassion, Constant Exertion, Daisaku Ikeda, Dharani Chapter, Dharma, Dharma propagation, Enlightenment, Integrating word and deed, Josei Toda, Lion’s Roar, Lotus Sūtra, Merits of the Tongue, Mystic Law, Nam-myōhō-renge-kyō, Nichiren Daishonin, Nichirō, open heart, Peaceful action, perseverance, Practicing the sutra with body and mind, Respect for Buddha-nature, Sadāparibhūta, Shakyamuni, Sharing Buddhism, Six Sense Faculties, Soka Gakkai, The Benefits of the Teacher of the Law, The Teacher of the Law, The Three Kinds of Treasure, Thich Nhat Hanh, Thus Come One, Twenty-four-character Lotus Sutra, universal salvation