Tag: Parable of the Prodigal Son

• 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

• The Joy of Awakening Buddha-Nature in the Lotus Sūtra

  

  I. Introduction: The Radical Shift of the Original Teaching This briefing document examines the profound implications of faith and joy as presented in Chapter 17 of the Lotus Sūtra, particularly in light of the preceding Chapter 16, “The Life Span of the Thus Come One.” Chapter 16 marks a pivotal doctrinal shift from the “trace…

  William Altig

  September 18, 2025

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

  Ajita, Arhat, Bodhisattva, Buddha’s longevity, Buddha-nature, buddhadhātu, cetasika, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, dana, Dharmakaya, dhyana, diligence, Distinction of Merits, Dukkha, Ekayāna, Eternal Buddha, firm faith, generosity, human revolution, imaginary city, joy, joyful interest, Kṣānti, kleśa, Lotus Sutra, Maitreya, Meditation, Merit, morality, Nichiren, Nirvāṇa, One Vehicle, original teaching, parable of the jewel in the robe, Parable of the Prodigal Son, Patience, Pratyekabuddha, prīti, Pāramitās, rapture, Saṃsāra, saṅkhāra-kkhandha, Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtra, Sakyamuni Buddha, sila, Skillful Means, sukha, Tathagatagarbha, The Life Span of the Thus Come One, three vehicles, Tiantai School, Trace Teaching, triyāna, Upaya, vedanā-kkhandha, virtue, Visuddhimagga, vīrya, zest, Zhiyi, Śraddhā, Śrāvaka

• The Three Treasures of the Dharma Teacher in the Lotus Sūtra

  

  This briefing document synthesizes key themes and concepts from Chapter 10 of the Lotus Sūtra, “A Teacher of the Dharma,” focusing on the Buddha’s instructions to Medicine-King Bodhisattva regarding the three indispensable conditions for propagating the Dharma: the Room, the Robe, and the Seat. It emphasizes the Sūtra‘s unique status, the challenges of the “evil…

  William Altig

  September 12, 2025

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

  Active Listening, Arhat, Bhaiṣajyarāja, Bodhisattva Practice, Buddha, Buddhahood, Chū, Collection of Merit, Collection of Wisdom, Compassion, Dedicated Work, Dharma propagation, Dharma Teacher, Dialogue, Ekayāna, emptiness, Evil Age, Forbearance, Gentleness, Great Compassion, Inherent Existence, interconnectedness, Interdependence, Kṣānti Pāramitā, Ke, Kū, liberation, Lotus Sūtra, Madhyamaka school, Mahākaruṇā, Mahāyāna Buddhism, Medicine-King Bodhisattva, middle way, Non-judgmental Inquiry, Nāgārjuna, One Vehicle, Parable of the Burning House, Parable of the Prodigal Son, Patience, perseverance, Provisional Existence, Robe of the Tathāgata, Room of the Tathāgata, Saṃsāra, Seat of the Tathāgata, Skillful Means, Spiritual Fortitude, Spiritual Obstacles, Suffering, Svabhāva, Sān Dì, Tathāgata, Three Treasures, Threefold Truth, Tiantai School, upāya, Voidness, Yogācāra school, Śūnyatā

• “Lotus Sutra: Aspiration and Teaching” – Chapter Four Analysis

  

  Date: September 8, 2025 Subject: Main Themes and Key Insights from Chapter Four of the Lotus Sūtra, focusing on Aspiration and Expedient Means. Executive Summary This briefing document summarizes the core themes and most important ideas presented in the analysis of Chapter Four of the Lotus Sūtra, often titled “Faith Discernment” or “Belief and Understanding.”…

  William Altig

  September 11, 2025

  Chapter 4, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  Arhatship, Aspiration, Awakened Mind, Belief and Understanding, Bodhicitta, Bodhisattvayāna, Buddha, Chapter Four, Compassion, Dharma King, Ekayāna, Faith Discernment, grace, Hinayana, Inner Capacity, Karma Purification, Lesser Vehicle, Lotus Sūtra, Mahayana Buddhism, Mahā-Kātyāyana, Mahā-Kāśyapa, Mahā-Maudgalyāyana, Nirvana, One Vehicle, Parable of the Prodigal Son, Parable of the Wayward Son, Pratyekabuddhayāna, Provisional Teachings, Self-Cultivation, Skillful Means, Soteriology, Spiritual Inheritance, Spiritual Maturation, Storehouse of Dharma, Subhūti, Universal Buddhahood, upāya, Willing Acceptance, Śrāvakayāna, Śāriputra