Tag: protection

• 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

• The Threefold Crown

  

  A parent’s heart, warm as dawn,But lacking skill, the path goes wrong.A teacher’s mind, sharp as flame,Without compassion, it twists to blame. A ruler’s hand, strong and sure,But without wisdom, power is cruel.Each fragment shines, yet none complete—The fractured crown leaves souls in need. But here within this world of pain,The Buddha walks, the bond…

  William Altig

  October 4, 2025

  Nichiren

  Bodhisattva Path, buddha’s virtues, Buddhism, buddhist insight, Buddhist Philosophy, Buddhist Poetry, Buddhist practice, Compassion, debt of gratitude, Dharma practice, Enlightenment, folk blues inspiration, integrated authority, kito sho, Lotus Sutra, Mahayana Buddhism, Nichiren, protection, Sahā world, sokushin jobutsu, sovereign teacher parent, spiritual awakening, spiritual poem, Three Virtues, wisdom

• The Rākṣasīs’ Vow in the Lotus Sūtra – A Blueprint for Universal Enlightenment

  

  Executive Summary The Rākṣasīs’ vow, detailed in Chapter 26 of the Lotus Sūtra, is a pivotal narrative that profoundly illustrates core Mahayana Buddhist principles. It presents a compelling paradox: ferocious, bloodthirsty demonesses renounce their destructive nature to pledge protection to those who uphold the Lotus Sūtra. This transformation is not a minor event but a…

  William Altig

  September 21, 2025

  Chapter 26, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  Angulimala, Bloodlust, Bodhisattva Medicine King, Bodhisattva Pradanasura, Buddha-nature, Chapter 26, compassion., Demonic Transformation, Dharma Protectors, Dhāraṇī, Ego, Enlightenment, Fixation to Self, Ghaṭotkacha, Guru Padmasambhava, Hariti, Heavenly King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Immeasurable Merit, Indian Mythology, Inner Poisons, karmic causality, Lotus Sutra, Mahayana Buddhism, Mahābhārata, mantra, Merit, protection, Pūtanas, Rākṣasīs’ Vow, Rāmāyaṇa, Rāvaṇa, Skillful Means, Soteriology, Spiritual Transformation, Tathagatagarbha, Upaya, Violence, Yakṣas

• The Immanence of the Eternal Buddha and the Practice of the Lotus Sutra

  

  This briefing document summarizes the core themes and essential facts from the provided scholarly analysis of the Lotus Sutra, particularly focusing on the “Encouragement of Universal-Sage Bodhisattva” chapter (Chapter 28) and its philosophical underpinnings in the “Life Span of the Thus Come One” chapter (Chapter 16). It explores how practicing the sutra fosters a direct…

  William Altig

  September 19, 2025

  Chapter 28, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  Altruism, Buddha land, Chapter 16, Chapter 28, Daheng, Ekayāna, Enlightenment, Eternal Buddha, Four Conditions for Obtaining Sutra, Fugen, Immeasurable Lifespan, kosen-rufu, Lotus Sutra, Mahayana Buddhism, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nichiren Buddhism, One Vehicle, paramitas, Perfect-Sudden Precepts, practice, protection, Reciprocal relationship, Samantabhadra, Self-reformation, Six Perfections, Skillful Means, Spiritual Transformation, Tathagata’s room, Ten Great Vows, Tendai Buddhism, Universal Buddha-nature, Universal-Sage Bodhisattva, Upaya, World of conflict

• The Empowering Presence and Protection of Universal-Sage Bodhisattva in the Lotus Sūtra

  

  This briefing document reviews the main themes and important ideas surrounding Universal-Sage Bodhisattva (Samantabhadra/Fugen) as presented in the concluding chapter of the Lotus Sūtra, “Encouragement of Universal-Sage Bodhisattva.” It addresses the nature of his vow, the role of dhāraṇīs and “supernatural powers,” the significance of Jambudvīpa, and the enduring legacy of these teachings in various…

  William Altig

  September 17, 2025

  Chapter 28, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  Abhijñā, Avalokiteśvara, Bhaiṣajyarāja, Bodhisattva, Buddha-nature, Dharma, Dhāraṇī, Divine Aid, Enlightenment, External Aid, Fugen, Higher Knowledges, Internal Cultivation, Jambudvīpa, karma, Kōsen-rufu, Lotus Sūtra, Mañjuśrī, Mahāyāna Buddhism, Meditative Aid, Mnemonic Device, Mount Meru, Nichiren Buddhism, Parinirvāṇa, Practice (Caryā), protection, Protective Incantation, Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtra, Samantabhadra, Six Perfections, Six Tusks, Skillful means (Upāya), spiritual energy, supernatural powers, Tendai school, Tiantai School, Universal-Sage Bodhisattva, vows, White Elephant, Śākyamuni Buddha

• Chapter 7–The Ascendancy of Tathagata Mahabhignagnanabhibhu: A Journey to Perfect Enlightenment

  

  The enlightened being, Tathagata Mahabhignagnanabhibhu (Great-Knowledge-and-Dominance), had a lifetime that spanned fifty-four hundred thousand myriads of countless eons. In the beginning, before he had achieved supreme enlightenment, he reached the summit of the terrace of enlightenment. There, he defeated the forces of Mara, the embodiment of worldly temptation and desire. He knew he was on…

  William Altig

  November 17, 2023

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

  celebration, Compassion, deep focus, despair, diverse assembly, enlightenment tree, guidance, halo of light, hope, illumination, Meditation, protection, radiant light, refuge, rejoicing, salvation, serenity, spiritual leader, suffering world, supreme enlightenment, Tathagata, transition, unwavering pursuit, wisdom