Tag: Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

• 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

  Bodhisattvas of the Earth, Buddhahood, Buddhism, Buddhist Allegory, Buddhist art, Buddhist Doctrine, Buddhist Philosophy, Buddhist practice, Ceremony in the Air, chanting, Enlightenment, Gohonzon, Heian Period, Human Potential, Ichinen Sanzen, Lotus Sutra, Mahayana Buddhism, Many Treasures Buddha, Mystic Law, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nichiren Buddhism, Reality and Wisdom, Shakyamuni Buddha, Spiritual Transformation, Spiritual Virtues, Sutra Commentary, Tendai, Tiantai, Treasure Stupa, Universal Enlightenment

• 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

  Amida Buddha, and study, Buddha’s thirty-two physical features, Changing karma into mission, chanting, enlightenment in this lifetime, expedient means, faith, Flower Garland Sutra, gakushu, Gohonzon, gyo, Hinayana sutra, jiriki, koans, Latter Day of the Law, Lotus Sutra, Mahayana Buddhism, mind of the Buddha, moji soku jissō, Mystic Law, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nembutsu, Nichiren, Nichiren Buddhism, nonduality of form and mind, One Vehicle, Opening the Eyes of Wooden and Painted Images, practice, pure and far-reaching voice, Pure Land Buddhism, Sado Island exile, Shakyamuni, Shikishin Funi, shinjin, Simultaneity of Cause and Effect, skillful means (zuitai’i), tariki, Tatsunokuchi, True Intent (Zuiji’i), True Word rituals, Western Paradise, words are the true aspect of reality, zazen, Zen Buddhism

• 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

  art, Buddha-nature, Buddhism of true cause, Changing karma into mission, Changing Poison into Medicine, Chanting Daimoku, compassion., Denying Buddhist teaching, esoteric Buddhism, External Actions, Four Criticisms (Shika Kakugen), Fourteen Slanders (Jūshi-hōbō), Fragmentation, Hell of Incessant Suffering, Hōbō (Slander of the Law), Inspiration, Internal Attitudes, Internalization of slander, Kamakura period, Karmic Retribution, kosen-rufu, Lotus Sutra, Low status, Mappō (Latter Day of the Law), Miao-lo, Mystic Law, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nichiren Daishonin, Nichiren Shoshu, Nichiren Shu, Opposing Buddhist teaching, Poverty, Psychological consequences, Pure Land Buddhism, relationships, Religion, Risshō Ankoku Ron, Ritsu Buddhism, Sectarian interpretations, Self-harm, Self-Reflection, Soka Gakkai International (SGI), Spiritual consequences, T’ien-t’ai Chih-che, Vilifying Buddhist teaching, White leprosy, writing, Zen Buddhism

• 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

• Nichiren Buddhist Practice: A Detailed Briefing

  

  This briefing document reviews the core tenets and essential practices of Nichiren Buddhism as outlined in the provided sources, focusing on Nichiren’s specific directions for practitioners in the Latter Day of the Law. I. Main Themes and Most Important Ideas The central theme running through Nichiren’s instructions is the primacy of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as the sole…

  William Altig

  August 10, 2025

  Nichiren

  “Expedient Means” chapter, chanting, daimoku, Dharanis, Dharmaparyāya, discard other teachings, Enlightenment, faith, filial piety, Gohonzon, Gratitude, intellectual understanding, karma cleansing, Latter Day of the Law, Life Span Chapter, Lotus Sutra, Myoho-renge-kyo, Mystic Law, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nembutsu, Nichiren, Nichiren Buddhism, persecutions, Provisional Teachings, reading Lotus Sutra, recitation Lotus Sutra, Refutation, Sanskrit, Shakubuku, Sino-Japanese pronunciation, study of Lotus Sutra, sutra translation, time and capacity, True Word, votary of the Lotus Sutra, Zen schools

• Maitreya’s Questions and the Revelation of Eternal Buddhahood in the Lotus Sūtra

  

  Date: August 9, 2025 Subject: An analysis of Maitreya’s questions in Chapter 15 of the Lotus Sūtra, Shakyamuni Buddha’s response, and subsequent interpretations across various Buddhist traditions (Tiantai, Nichiren, Zen). 1. Executive Summary Maitreya’s profound questions in Chapter 15 (“Emerging from the Earth”) of the Lotus Sūtra serve as a pivotal narrative device, prompting Shakyamuni…

  William Altig

  August 9, 2025

  Chapter 15, Chapter 16, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  Bodhisattvas of the Earth, Buddha, Buddha-nature, Buddhism, Chapter 15 “Emerging from the Earth”, Chapter 16 “The Life Span of the Tathāgata”, Compassionate Pedagogy, Dharma-nature, Dōgen, Essential Teaching, Eternal Buddhahood, Faith and Inquiry, Immeasurable Lifespan, Innate Enlightenment, Latter Day of the Law, Lotus Sutra, Mahayana Buddhism, Maitreya, Meditation, Mentor-Disciple Bond, middle way, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nichiren Buddhism, Nichiren Daishonin, Nirvana, Original Buddha, Philosophy, Religion, Shakyamuni Buddha, Spiritual Practice, The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, Tiantai, Trace Teaching, universal salvation, zen, Zhiyi

• Seeing the Buddha in the Lotus Sūtra

  

  I. Executive Summary This briefing examines the multifaceted meaning of “seeing the Buddha” within the context of the Lotus Sūtra, contrasting the historical quest for a physical encounter with Siddhartha Gautama with the Sutra’s promise of an ever-present Buddha accessible through spiritual engagement. The Lotus Sūtra redefines “seeing the Buddha” from a literal perception to…

  William Altig

  August 5, 2025

  Chapter 16, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  Buddhahood, Chapter Sixteen Lifespan, Chapter Ten Masters of the Dharma, Copying the Sutra, Dharma-body, divine protection, Enlightenment, Eternal Buddha, Expounding the Sutra, four kinds of devotees, Inherent Buddha-nature, Lotus Sūtra, Mahayana Buddhism, Meritorious Acts, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nichiren, Origin teaching, Persecution, Pilgrimage, Reading the Sutra, Reciting the Sutra, samadhi, Seeing the Buddha, Slander, Spiritual Hardship, Spiritual Realization, Trace Teaching, Universal Buddhahood, Upholding the Sutra, wisdom, Zhiyi, Śākyamuni Buddha

• Nichiren’s Exaltation of the Lotus Sutra

  

  I. Executive Summary This briefing synthesizes key themes from the provided sources, which primarily review and present an essay titled “The Transcendent Dharma: An Examination of the Lotus Sutra’s Supremacy in Nichiren’s Teachings.” The central argument explored is Nichiren’s radical assertion of the Lotus Sutra’s preeminence over the historical Buddha, positioning the Dharma (Law) as…

  William Altig

  July 30, 2025

  Nichiren

  Buddha, Buddhism, Buddhism of harvest, Buddhism of sowing, daimoku, Dharma supremacy, Ever-Present Buddha, Faith Practice Study, Gojū-no-sōtai, Gongyo, Inherent Buddhahood, Kamakura period, Kosen-rufu., Latter Day of the Law, Law as True Buddha, Lotus Sutra, Mappō, Meditation, Mystic Law, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nichiren Buddhism, Offerings, One Vehicle, Philosophy, Religion, Shakyamuni Buddha, Sokushin Jōbutsu

• 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