Tag: Paradox

• 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

• Out of Reach

  

  “Out of Reach” delves into the complexities of the human journey, acknowledging the inevitable struggles and suffering we encounter. It’s not a naive optimism, but rather a realistic portrayal of the challenges inherent in growth. The song suggests that often, the very things we seek – whether it’s understanding, peace, or connection – seem elusive,…

  William Altig

  March 31, 2025

  music

  absence, Conscious Hip-Hop, Enlightenment, finding your way, Growth, guidance, help, inner strength, Overcoming Obstacles, Paradox, Personal Growth, presence, resilience, seeking, Self-Discovery, Spiritual, Struggle, Suffering, support, Transformation, wisdom

• Shakubuku Heart: The Way of Lotus Fire

  

  Through the mist of provisional truths, The Lotus stands eternal, pure and bright. Like diamond cutting stone, the teaching soothes While challenging what dims the perfect light. To challenge falsehood with a steady hand, Yet hold compassion for the searching heart— This tension forms the practice, understand: To separate the teaching, not to part The…

  William Altig

  March 28, 2025

  poems

  Buddhism, Challenge, Compassion, Delusion, Enlightenment, Lotus Sutra, Metaphor, Nichiren Buddhism, Paradox, poetry, Refutation, Shakubuku, truth