Tag: Religious Poetry

• The Perfection of Patience

  

  A Poem When swords and sticks and stones arrive, And cruel words cut deep, The ancient Buddha taught a way For strength that we can keep. They call it Kṣānti—patience— But not the quiet kind, It’s not about just taking abuse Or being meek and blind. It’s “determined refusal to be beaten down,” A fire…

  William Altig

  October 11, 2025

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

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• The One That Stays

  

  “The One That Stays” wrestles with an ancient question: How do ordinary people offer something sacred when the old stories demand the impossible? Inspired by Buddhist teachings about sacrifice and perseverance, this song explores the tension between spectacular acts of devotion and the quiet heroism of simply continuing—of getting up, showing up, and staying present…

  William Altig

  October 9, 2025

  Chapter 23, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

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• The Unspoken Teaching

  

  Beyond the boundaries of thought, where words collapse like waves, the Buddha rises from his samādhi—eyes opening on what cannot be said. Infinite, immeasurable, bottomless—the wisdom that defeats all measure. The śrāvakas stand at the transformed city, satisfied with their small escape, calling provisional shelter “home.” But the depths call deeper still. What skill could…

  William Altig

  October 6, 2025

  Chapter 2, Chapter 26, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

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• Chapter 7–Symphony of the Cosmos: The Brahma Angels in the Lotus Sutra

  

  The scene repeated itself across the cosmos. In the south-west, in the west, in the north-west, in the north, in the north-east, and in the nadir, the same occurrence unfolded, like a symphony resonating through space and time. The aerial cars of the Brahma angels shone with a divine light, reflecting the Buddha’s enlightened presence.…

  William Altig

  November 25, 2023

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

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