Tag: Parable of the Conjured City

• 5 Surprising Truths About Suffering and Liberation from an Ancient Buddhist Text

  

  Ancient scriptures can feel intimidating. Dense and filled with unfamiliar names and concepts, texts like the Buddhist Lotus Sūtra can seem like relics from a world far removed from our own. Yet, hidden within their verses are often profound, timeless insights into the human condition that resonate with startling clarity today. This is especially true…

  William Altig

  October 21, 2025

  Chapter 7, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  akusala kamma, apāyas, Bodhisattva spirit, Brahma Verses, Chapter Seven, Delusion, dharma-prīti, Ekayāna, evil regions, fundamental ignorance, gampon no mumyō, Great-Universal-Wisdom-Excellence Buddha, Heavenly-King Brahmas, karma, Lotus Sūtra, lower realms, Mahābhijñā-jñānābhibhū, mithyā-dṛṣṭi, Moha, One Vehicle, Parable of the Conjured City, pleasure of the Dharma, Saṃsāra, Shakyamuni Buddha, sinful karmas, Skillful Means, spiritual amnesia, Suffering, treasure land, Universal Buddhahood, upāya, wrong views

• The Universal Vow: Merit, Enlightenment, and the Legacy of the Brahma Kings in the Lotus Sutra

  

  I. Introduction: The Universal Aspiration for Enlightenment The human spirit often harbors a profound yearning for its endeavors to resonate beyond the personal sphere, contributing to a larger, universal good. The verses presented— May the merits we have accumulated by this offeringBe distributed among all living beings,And may we and all other living beingsAttain the…

  William Altig

  May 16, 2025

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  Bodhicitta, Bodhisattva Path, Brahma Kings, Buddha, Buddhism, Chapter Seven, Daitsū Chishō Butsu, Dedication of Merit (Pariṇāmanā), Dharmapāla, Enlightenment, Great-Universal-Wisdom-Excellence Buddha, Inherent Buddha-Nature (Tathāgatagarbha), Lotus Sutra, Mahayana Buddhism, Meditation, Merit (Puṇya), Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, One Vehicle (Ekayāna), Parable of the Conjured City, Philosophy, Religion, Skillful Means (Upāya-kauśalya), The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings (OTT)., universal salvation, universal vow