Tag: Spiritual Journey
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Cool and Refreshed
“Cool and Refreshed” – A Spiritual Blues-Gospel Duet A powerful testimony of transformation told through male and female voices. “Cool and Refreshed” weaves Buddhist wisdom into the American blues-gospel tradition, exploring the journey from spiritual burden to liberation. Walking heavy with the weight of the past, two souls discover that their true nature is pure—not…
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“One Word of Praise”
What if everything you’ve been told about spiritual progress is backwards? This song came from reading an ancient Buddhist text—the Lotus Sutra—that completely flips our understanding of how transformation happens. We’re taught that meaningful change requires years of effort, countless hours of practice, immense sacrifice. Grind long enough and maybe, just maybe, you’ll get somewhere.…
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The Eternal Road in This Burning House
This song is a long, luminous walk through fire and stillness. With a slow, earthy guitar groove and a blues-folk pulse, it weaves ancient parable into present-day grit. The verses trace a pilgrim’s hard miles—years of searching for a distant light—only to discover that awakening is already here, in the everyday and the ordinary. Drawing…
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The One Great White Ox Cart Blues
The One Great White Ox Cart Blues is a slow-burning folk-blues meditation on finding the sacred in everyday life. Driven by a mournful acoustic guitar in A minor and a steady, heartbeat bass, the song draws on the Lotus Sutra’s parable of the Great White Ox Cart to reveal a timeless truth: there is no…
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The Eternal Road in This Burning House
This song is a long, luminous walk through fire and stillness. With a slow, earthy guitar groove and a blues-folk pulse, it weaves ancient parable into present-day grit. The verses trace a pilgrim’s hard miles—years of searching for a distant light—only to discover that awakening is already here, in the everyday and the ordinary. Drawing…
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Lotus Sūtra’s Hidden Enlightenment
I. Executive Summary Chapter Eight of the Lotus Sūtra marks a profound turning point in Buddhist thought, where five hundred of the Buddha’s monks realize the limitations of their previous spiritual attainments. Their declaration, “The Nirvāṇa we attained was Only part of the immeasurable treasures of yours. We were like a foolish man with no…
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The Conjured City Blues
“The Conjured City Blues” is a soulful fusion of ancient Buddhist wisdom and the raw emotional power of the Blues. Inspired by Chapter Seven of the Lotus Sutra, the song journeys through the vastness of suffering, perseverance, and hope expressed by the Brahma Kings’ universal vow for enlightenment. With a slow, haunting melody rooted in…
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The Quest for Enlightenment: An Analysis of the Brahma King’s Verses in the Lotus Sūtra
I. Introduction The Lotus Sūtra, revered as one of the most influential texts in Mahayana Buddhism, is celebrated for its profound teachings on the inherent potential for Buddhahood in all beings and its skillful use of parables to illuminate complex Buddhist principles.1 Central to its message is the concept of expedient means (upaya), where the…
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The Profound Implications of Hearing the Dharma: An Analysis of Lotus Sūtra Chapter Seven Verses
The Lotus Sūtra, revered as one of the most significant scriptures in Mahayana Buddhism, holds a central place in the spiritual lives of countless practitioners across East Asia. Its teachings, often considered the final and most complete exposition of Shakyamuni Buddha’s wisdom, articulate the profound principle of universal Buddhahood, asserting that all beings possess the…
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Children of the Lotus Blues
A soulful blues folk rendition of Buddhist wisdom teachings, “Children of the Lotus Blues” weaves ancient spiritual concepts into an accessible American roots framework. The song tells the story of enlightened children seeking truth while featuring haunting call-and-response vocals that echo traditional spirituals. Backed by sparse, emotive acoustic guitar work, the gentle thrum of stand-up…
Mr. Altig’s Overview of the Wonderful Dharma of the Lotus Sutra 