Tag: Nichiren Daishonin

• 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

• 4 Shocking Lessons on Conviction from the Lotus Sutra

  

  Introduction: More Than Just a Promise We’ve all made promises. Some are small, but others are profound vows that shape the course of our lives—a commitment to a person, a cause, or a belief. We tend to think of conviction as a straightforward matter of sincerity and willpower. If you believe strongly enough and are…

  William Altig

  October 5, 2025

  Chapter 13, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  Abhaya, Abhaya Mudra, arhats, Arrogant false sages, Arrogant lay people, Arrogant priests, Bhaiṣajyarāja, Bhikshunis, Bodhisattvas, Bodhisattvas of the Earth, Buddha’s extinction, Chapter 13, Chapter 15 (Emerging from the Earth), Delegated authority, ekayāna (one vehicle), Encouraging Devotion (Kan Ji), Essential Teaching (Honmon), Evil Age, Fearless Vow, Great Delight in Speaking, Karmic Purification, Kṣānti, kosen-rufu, Latter Day of the Law, Lotus Sūtra, Mahāprajāpatī, Mahāpratibhāna, Mappō, Medicine King, Miao-lo, Nichiren Buddhism, Nichiren Daishonin, Not sparing bodies and lives, perseverance, Predictions of Buddhahood (vyākaraṇa), Propagation of the Dharma, Saha world, Spiritual conflict, Superficial Connection, Theoretical Teaching (Shakumon), Three Powerful Enemies, Tiantai Buddhism, Votary of the Lotus Sūtra, Wonderful Dharma, Yaśodharā, Zhiyi, Śākyamuni Buddha

• 4 Surprising Lessons on Leadership from a 13th-Century Buddhist Monk

  

  Introduction: The Search for a Perfect Guide In a world rocked by uncertainty, we all search for reliable leaders, mentors, and guides. We crave authority that is wise, compassionate, and strong enough to help us navigate the complexities of modern life. But what if the most effective framework for leadership wasn’t forged in a contemporary…

  William Altig

  October 4, 2025

  Nichiren

  absolute spiritual authority, Amida Buddha rejection, Bodhisattva Practice, Compassion (Karuṇā), compassion without skill, debt of gratitude (Hōon), Dharma Body (Dharmakāya), Eternal Shakyamuni Buddha, frightening master, Gohonzon, human limitations, Kitō-shō, kosen-rufu, Latter Day of the Law, Lotus Sūtra, Manifestation Body (Nirmāṇakāya), Mappō, Mentor-Disciple relationship, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nichiren Daishonin, Non-Duality, Parent, Parent virtue (Shin), practice for oneself (Jigyō), practice for others (Keta), refutation (shakubuku), Reward Body (Sambhogakāya), Sahā world, Shu-Shi-Shin, Skillful means (Upāya), Sokushin Jōbutsu, Sovereign, Sovereign virtue (Shu), spiritual unfilial piety, teacher, Teacher virtue (Shi), Three Virtues, Treatise on Prayers, Trikāya correlation, Wisdom (Prajñā), wisdom without compassion

• Three Revolutionary Ideas from a 13th-Century Buddhist Monk About Human Potential

  

  Introduction: The Challenge of Unlocking Our Full Potential In our daily lives, we constantly fall into the habit of placing limiting labels on people, including ourselves. We categorize others as “good” or “bad,” “smart” or “stupid,” or decide that certain individuals are simply lost causes, incapable of meaningful change. This tendency to see human potential…

  William Altig

  September 27, 2025

  Nichiren

  Arhatship, arrogance, Buddha-nature, Buddhahood, Compassion, daimoku, Devadatta, Dragon King’s daughter, ekayāna (one vehicle), Icchantika (incorrigible unbeliever), Ichinen Sanzen, Kamakura period, Latter Day of the Law (*Mappō*), Latter Day of the Law (Mappō), Lotus Sutra, Mutual Possession of the Ten Worlds, Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō, Nichiren Daishonin, Persecution, Pure Land Buddhism, Shō Hokke Daimoku-shō, Three Great Secret Laws, universal salvation, women’s enlightenment

• 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

• The Bodhisattva Never-Despising and the Embodiment of the Wonderful Dharma

  

  Executive Summary This briefing document analyzes Chapter Twenty of the Lotus Sūtra, focusing on the story of the Bodhisattva Sadāparibhūta (Never-Despising Bodhisattva). The narrative serves as a foundational blueprint for Mahayana Buddhist practice, asserting that the “Wonderful Dharma” (Saddharma Puṇḍarıˉka) is not merely theoretical but an active, compassionate engagement with the world. The core message…

  William Altig

  September 13, 2025

  Chapter 20, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  active tolerance, Always Despised, Avichi hell, Bodhisattva Never-Despising, Bodhisattvas of the Earth, Buddha-nature, Buddhahood, Cháng bù qīng púsà, Constantly Abused, Ekayaˉna, Enlightenment, Internal Transformation, Jōfukyō Bosatsu, Karmic Transformation, King of Majestic Voices, Kumārajīva, Lotus Sūtra, Mahayana Buddhism, Nichiren Buddhism, Nichiren Daishonin, Non-duality of Self and Environment, One Vehicle, overcoming disparagement, poison-drum relationship, respect, reverence, Saddharma Puṇḍarıˉka, Sadāparibhūta, six senses, Skillful Means, Spiritual Practice, Universal Buddhahood, universal salvation, upaˉya, veneration, Wonderful Dharma

• 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

• 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

• The Lotus Sūtra and Universal Buddha-Nature

  

  Core Thesis: The “Lotus Sūtra” deeply emphasizes the universal potential for enlightenment (Buddha-nature) inherent in all beings. The Sūtra’s profound praise for those who uphold and propagate its teachings signifies the Buddha’s recognition and encouragement of this latent Buddha-nature, effectively entrusting practitioners with the fulfillment of his original vow to lead all beings to the…

  William Altig

  August 15, 2025

  Chapter 16, Chapter 21, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  Bodhisattva Never Disparaging, Bodhisattvas of the Earth, Buddha-nature, Chapter 21, Dharma, Enlightenment, Entrustment, Latter Day of the Law, Lotus Sūtra, Mahāyāna Buddhism, Miao-lo, Nam-myōhō-renge-kyō, Nichiren Daishonin, Odaimoku, Praise for Sutra Keepers, Repaying Gratitude, Samantabhadra, Shakyamuni Buddha, Superior Practices, Three Treasures, Universal Buddhahood

• Arrogance vs. Faith in the Lotus Sutra

  

  Overview This briefing document reviews the central role of arrogance and its antitheses—faith and respect—as crucial factors in understanding and benefiting from the profound teachings of the Lotus Sutra, particularly as highlighted in Chapter 2 (“Expedient Means”) and elaborated upon by Nichiren Daishonin. The sources emphasize that the Buddha’s “wonderful and inconceivable” Dharma requires an…

  William Altig

  August 14, 2025

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

  arrogance, Bodhisattva Never Disparaging, Buddha-nature, Buddhist practice, Chapter 2 Expedient Means, Dharma, Enlightenment, faith, Five Thousand Arrogant People, Fourteen Slanders, humility, karma, Lotus Sutra, Miao-lo, Nichiren Daishonin, Obstacles to Dharma, One Buddha Vehicle, Persecution, Receptivity, respect, Shakyamuni Buddha, Slander, Spiritual Growth, Three Powerful Enemies, Śraddhā, Śāriputra