Tag: Pure Land Buddhism

• The Art of Refuting Ideas Without Attacking People

  

  Introduction: The Challenge of Meaningful Disagreement In our modern world, it often feels impossible to disagree on important topics without the conversation descending into personal attacks. We encounter ideas we believe are genuinely harmful, yet we are urged to be tolerant. This leaves us with a piercing question: How can we challenge ideas we find…

  William Altig

  November 16, 2025

  Nichiren, Uncategorized

  Admonishing the State, Atsuhara Affair, Bodhisattva Practice, daimoku, Faith Practice Study, Final Dharma Age, Gohonzon, Gyōchi, hōbō, Hōnen, Kamakura Shogunate, Kokka Kangyō, kosen-rufu, Lotus Sutra, Mappō, Martyrdom, Mongol Threat, Namu-myōhō-renge-kyō, Nanjō Tokimitsu, Nichiren, Nichiren Shoshu, Nikkō, Nyosetsu Shugyō-shō, One Vehicle, Persecution, Provisional Teachings, Pure Land Buddhism, Risshō Ankoku Ron, Sado exile, Shakubuku, shōju, Slander of the Dharma, Soka Gakkai, Tatsunokuchi Persecution, T’ien-t’ai, Three Powerful Enemies, zen

• 5 Surprising Lessons from an Ancient Bodhisattva on How to Face an Overwhelming World

  

  It is a deeply familiar weight in our modern age: we are confronted daily with a seemingly endless tide of global problems, and in the face of such overwhelming need, we feel crushingly inadequate. We look at the scale of what is necessary and, as one ancient text observes, come to “believe that we are…

  William Altig

  October 16, 2025

  Chapter 25, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  Abhaya, Amitabha Buddha, Anatta, Avalokitesvara, Bodhicitta, Bodhisattva, Bodhisattva vow, Buddhist Compassion, Buddhist deity, Buddhist Ethics, Buddhist iconography, Buddhist meditation, Buddhist Philosophy, Buddhist practice, Buddhist psychology, Buddhist Symbolism, Buddhist teachings, Buddhist vows, Buddhist Wisdom, Chapter 25 Lotus Sutra, Chenrezig, Chinese Buddhism, comparative religion, Compassion, compassionate action, dealing with suffering, dependent origination, East Asian Buddhism, emptiness, fearlessness, gender in Buddhism, Goddess of Mercy, Guanyin, helping others, interconnectedness, kannon, karuna, Kumarajiva, Lotus Sutra, Mahayana Buddhism, mindfulness practice, Non-self, oceanic vow, overcoming despair, prajna, pratityasamutpada, Pure Land Buddhism, religious studies, Shantideva, Skillful Means, spiritual hope, Spiritual Transformation, Sunyata, thousand-armed Avalokitesvara, Upaya, wisdom and 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

• Avalokiteśvara’s Role and Transformation in Mahāyāna Buddhism

  

  Executive Summary This document synthesizes a detailed analysis of Avalokiteśvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, as presented in Chapter Twenty-Five of the Lotus Sūtra, titled “The Universal Gateway.” The analysis reveals a complex figure whose significance extends far beyond that of a simple devotional deity. The central thesis is that the text presents a dual-layered understanding…

  William Altig

  September 22, 2025

  Chapter 25, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  *Avalokitasvara* (Sound Perceiver), *Guanshiyin* (Perceiver of the World’s Sounds), *upāya-kauśalya*, *śūnyatā* (emptiness), *īśvara* (Lord who looks down), allegorical interpretation, Amitābha Buddha, Anger, Avalokitesvara, Chapter Twenty-Five, Chenrezig, Compassion (Karuṇā), Engaged Buddhism, feminization of Avalokiteśvara, folly/ignorance, Goddess of Mercy, Guanyin, Heart Sutra, inner transformation, kannon, kanzeon, karma, lotus flower symbolism, Lotus Sutra, lust, Mahayana Buddhism, Natha Deviyo, One Vehicle doctrine, Pure Land Buddhism, pure water vase, Putuo Shan, Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtra, Seven Difficulties, Skillful Means, Sukhāvatī, Thirty-Three Forms of Manifestation, Thousand-Armed, Thousand-Eyed Avalokiteśvara, three poisons, Universal Gateway, Upaya, willow branch, Wisdom (Prajñā), World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva

• Nichiren’s Philosophy of Language in the Lotus Sutra

  

  I. Introduction: The Living Words of the Buddha Nichiren, the 13th-century Japanese Buddhist priest, fundamentally re-envisioned the relationship between the practitioner, the Buddha, and the sacred text. His philosophy centers on the assertion that the written word of the Lotus Sutra is not merely a metaphor or a historical record, but a “dynamic, living manifestation…

  William Altig

  August 31, 2025

  Nichiren

  Amida Buddha, and study, Buddha’s thirty-two physical features, Changing karma into mission, chanting, enlightenment in this lifetime, expedient means, faith, Flower Garland Sutra, gakushu, Gohonzon, gyo, Hinayana sutra, jiriki, koans, Latter Day of the Law, Lotus Sutra, Mahayana Buddhism, mind of the Buddha, moji soku jissō, Mystic Law, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nembutsu, Nichiren, Nichiren Buddhism, nonduality of form and mind, One Vehicle, Opening the Eyes of Wooden and Painted Images, practice, pure and far-reaching voice, Pure Land Buddhism, Sado Island exile, Shakyamuni, Shikishin Funi, shinjin, Simultaneity of Cause and Effect, skillful means (zuitai’i), tariki, Tatsunokuchi, True Intent (Zuiji’i), True Word rituals, Western Paradise, words are the true aspect of reality, zazen, Zen Buddhism

• 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

• Slander of the True Dharma (Hōbō) in Nichiren Buddhism

  

  This briefing document analyzes the concept of “slander of the True Dharma” (hōbō) as a cornerstone of Nichiren’s teachings, drawing on the provided source material. It explores the multifaceted nature of slander, its historical and doctrinal context, karmic consequences, the paradox of compassionate condemnation, and its modern interpretations. Executive Summary The doctrine of hōbō is…

  William Altig

  August 11, 2025

  Nichiren

  Avici Hell, Bodhisattva Never Disparaging, Buddha-nature, Buddhist Doctrine, compassionate condemnation, expiation of past slander, faith, Fourteen Slanders, Hell of Incessant Suffering, hobo, Hōnen, interpersonal ethics, Japanese Buddhism, Karmic Retribution, lack of faith, Latter Day of the Law, Lotus Sutra, Mahayana sutras, Mappo, Mystic Law, nenbutsu, Nichiren, Nichiren’s teachings, Nichiren’s thought, Persecution, personal faith, Pure Land Buddhism, Shingon Buddhism, Slander of the True Dharma, spiritual enlightenment, Three Jewels, Zen Buddhism

• The Lotus Sutra’s Enduring Call in the Latter Day of the Law

  

  This briefing document summarizes the core themes and most important concepts presented in the provided sources, focusing on the Lotus Sutra’s significance, particularly through Nichiren’s interpretation, and its role in personal and societal transformation. 1. The Lotus Sutra: A Foundation for Universal Enlightenment The Lotus Sutra, or Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtra, is a foundational text in…

  William Altig

  July 29, 2025

  Nichiren

  Bodily Reading, Buddha-nature, Buddhism, Chapter 16 Lotus Sutra, Chapter 28 Lotus Sutra, compassionate action, Copying), daimoku, Dōgen Zenji, Ekayāna, Enlightenment, Eternal Buddha, Five Practices of Lotus Sutra (Seeking, Gohonzon, human revolution, Ichinen Sanzen, Kamakura period, Keeping, Latter Day of the Law, Lotus Sutra, Mappō, Meditation, Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō, Nichiren Buddhism, One Vehicle, Philosophy, Propagation., Pure Land (in this world), Pure Land Buddhism, Reading, Reciting, Religion, Samantabhadra, Skillful Means, Societal Transformation, Spirituality, Tendai, Three Great Secret Laws, Three Thousand Realms in a Single Thought-Moment, Tiantai, Transformation, Universal-Sage Bodhisattva, upāya, vow of protection, Zen Buddhism

• The Lotus Sutra as the Buddha’s True Mind: An Analysis of Nichiren’s Interpretation in the Zui-jii Gosho

  

  I. Introduction: Setting the Context – The Lotus Sutra, Nichiren, and the Zui-jii Gosho A. Overview The Saddharma Puṇḍarıˉka Suˉtra, or Lotus Sutra, stands as a cornerstone scripture within the Mahayana Buddhist tradition, revered for its profound doctrines and expansive vision of salvation. Its influence has permeated Buddhist thought, practice, and culture across Asia for centuries. Among…

  William Altig

  April 28, 2025

  Nichiren

  Buddhist Scripture, daimoku, Ekayaˉna, Enlightenment, expedient means, Gohonzon, Hokkegyoja, Japanese Buddhism, Lotus Sutra, Mahayana Buddhism, Mappo, Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, Nichiren Daishonin, One Vehicle, Pure Land Buddhism, San Dai Hiho, Shingon Buddhism, Tendai Buddhism, Three Great Secret Laws, upaˉya, Zen Buddhism, Zui-jii Gosho

• An Examination of Nichiren’s Assertions on Attaining Buddhahood and Societal Well-being in his Treatise on Prayers

  

  1. Introduction: Nichiren Buddhism, a significant school within the Mahayana tradition, centers its teachings and practices on the Lotus Sutra, revered as the culmination of Shakyamuni Buddha’s fifty years of teachings.1 Founded in 13th-century Japan by Nichiren Daishonin (1222-1282), this school emphasizes the inherent Buddha-nature within all individuals and the possibility of attaining enlightenment in…

  William Altig

  April 12, 2025

  Nichiren

  Buddhahood, Ekayana, Eternal Buddha, hobo, Kamakura period, Kitō-shō, kosen-rufu, Lotus Sutra, Mappo, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nichiren Buddhism, One Vehicle, Pure Land Buddhism, Risshō Ankoku Ron, Sairen-bo, Shingon Buddhism, slandering the Dharma, Ten Worlds, Tendai school, Treatise on Prayers, Universal Buddhahood, Zen Buddhism