Tag: universal salvation

• What If the Buddha Faked His Own Death? 5 Mind-Bending Truths from the Lotus Sutra

  

  Introduction: The Buddha We Think We Know Most of us know the story: a young prince named Siddhartha Gautama, shielded from suffering, renounces his palace, seeks the truth of existence, and finally achieves supreme enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. This image of the historical Buddha—a man who found the path and taught it for several…

  William Altig

  October 20, 2025

  Chapter 16, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime, Chapter Sixteen, Dharmakāya, Ekayāna, Eternal Buddha, Honmon, Lotus Sutra, Mahāyāna Buddhism, Namu Myoho Renge Kyo, Nichiren Buddhism, Nirmāṇakāya, One Vehicle, Origin teaching, Parable of the Skillful Physician, Pure Land, Saṃsāra is Nirvāṇa, Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra, Shakumon, Skill in Means, Tathāgata Lifespan, Three Bodies of the Buddha, Tiāntái school, Trace Teaching, Trikāya, universal salvation, Upāya-kauśalya, Śākyamuni Buddha

• The Gospel Truth

  

  In the tradition of grounded blues and folk, this song offers a heartfelt meditation on universal salvation and the liberating message of the Lotus Sūtra. Drawing inspiration from the teachings of Nichiren, it challenges the notion that enlightenment is reserved for a select few. Through the lens of storytelling and a soulful, fingerpicked guitar, the…

  William Altig

  September 27, 2025

  music

  acoustic folk, Buddha Dharma, Compassion, Enlightenment, Grounded folk, Houston music, Lotus Sutra, Nichiren Buddhism, Padmaprabha, Singer-Songwriter, spiritual blues, Spiritual Music, Storytelling, universal salvation, William Daugherty

• 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

• 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…

  William Altig

  September 15, 2025

  Chapter 8, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  altruistic mission, Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, Arhat, awakening, Bodhisattva, Bodhisattvayāna, Buddha, Buddha-nature, Buddhist path, Chapter Eight, Compassion, devotional practices, Dharmakāya, Dukkha, Ekayāna, emptiness of all phenomena, emptiness of self, expedient means, foolish man, Hinayāna, immeasurable treasures, impartial compassion, Latter Day of the Law, Lotus Sūtra, Mahāyāna, monks, Mystic Law, Nichiren Buddhism, Nichiren Daishonin, Nirvāṇa, non-dual, One Vehicle, Parable of the Burning House, parable of the jewel in the robe, Parinirvāṇa, personal liberation, Provisional Teachings, realization, recitation, revaluation, Samsara, spiritual complacency, Spiritual Journey, Suffering, Tendai, three vehicles, Tiantai, transcription, treasure tower, Universal Enlightenment, universal salvation, upāya, Zhiyi, Śrāvakayāna

• The Bodhisattva Never-Despising and the Embodiment of the Wonderful Dharma

  

  Executive Summary This briefing document analyzes Chapter Twenty of the Lotus Sūtra, focusing on the story of the Bodhisattva Sadāparibhūta (Never-Despising Bodhisattva). The narrative serves as a foundational blueprint for Mahayana Buddhist practice, asserting that the “Wonderful Dharma” (Saddharma Puṇḍarıˉka) is not merely theoretical but an active, compassionate engagement with the world. The core message…

  William Altig

  September 13, 2025

  Chapter 20, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  active tolerance, Always Despised, Avichi hell, Bodhisattva Never-Despising, Bodhisattvas of the Earth, Buddha-nature, Buddhahood, Cháng bù qīng púsà, Constantly Abused, Ekayaˉna, Enlightenment, Internal Transformation, Jōfukyō Bosatsu, Karmic Transformation, King of Majestic Voices, Kumārajīva, Lotus Sūtra, Mahayana Buddhism, Nichiren Buddhism, Nichiren Daishonin, Non-duality of Self and Environment, One Vehicle, overcoming disparagement, poison-drum relationship, respect, reverence, Saddharma Puṇḍarıˉka, Sadāparibhūta, six senses, Skillful Means, Spiritual Practice, Universal Buddhahood, universal salvation, upaˉya, veneration, Wonderful Dharma

• Embodying the Lotus Sūtra – The Buddha’s Voice in Our Words

  

  This briefing synthesizes key themes from the provided source, “Embodying the Lotus Sūtra: The Buddha’s Voice in Our Words,” focusing on the concept of how a practitioner’s actions and words, rooted in the Lotus Sūtra, can become a vehicle for the Buddha’s compassion and wisdom. It draws extensively from the Lotus Sūtra itself, Nichiren Daishonin’s…

  William Altig

  August 13, 2025

  Chapter 19, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  Bodhisattva Constant-Endeavor, Bodhisattva Never Disparaging, Bodily Reading, Buddha-nature, Buddha’s Voice, Chapter 10, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Compassion, Constant Exertion, Daisaku Ikeda, Dharani Chapter, Dharma, Dharma propagation, Enlightenment, Integrating word and deed, Josei Toda, Lion’s Roar, Lotus Sūtra, Merits of the Tongue, Mystic Law, Nam-myōhō-renge-kyō, Nichiren Daishonin, Nichirō, open heart, Peaceful action, perseverance, Practicing the sutra with body and mind, Respect for Buddha-nature, Sadāparibhūta, Shakyamuni, Sharing Buddhism, Six Sense Faculties, Soka Gakkai, The Benefits of the Teacher of the Law, The Teacher of the Law, The Three Kinds of Treasure, Thich Nhat Hanh, Thus Come One, Twenty-four-character Lotus Sutra, universal salvation

• Maitreya’s Questions and the Revelation of Eternal Buddhahood in the Lotus Sūtra

  

  Date: August 9, 2025 Subject: An analysis of Maitreya’s questions in Chapter 15 of the Lotus Sūtra, Shakyamuni Buddha’s response, and subsequent interpretations across various Buddhist traditions (Tiantai, Nichiren, Zen). 1. Executive Summary Maitreya’s profound questions in Chapter 15 (“Emerging from the Earth”) of the Lotus Sūtra serve as a pivotal narrative device, prompting Shakyamuni…

  William Altig

  August 9, 2025

  Chapter 15, Chapter 16, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  Bodhisattvas of the Earth, Buddha, Buddha-nature, Buddhism, Chapter 15 “Emerging from the Earth”, Chapter 16 “The Life Span of the Tathāgata”, Compassionate Pedagogy, Dharma-nature, Dōgen, Essential Teaching, Eternal Buddhahood, Faith and Inquiry, Immeasurable Lifespan, Innate Enlightenment, Latter Day of the Law, Lotus Sutra, Mahayana Buddhism, Maitreya, Meditation, Mentor-Disciple Bond, middle way, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nichiren Buddhism, Nichiren Daishonin, Nirvana, Original Buddha, Philosophy, Religion, Shakyamuni Buddha, Spiritual Practice, The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, Tiantai, Trace Teaching, universal salvation, zen, Zhiyi

• The Dragon Girl’s Enlightenment: A Briefing on Universal Buddhahood and the Challenge to Tradition in the Lotus Sūtra

  

  Date: August 8, 2024 Subject: Analysis of the Dragon Girl’s Narrative in the Lotus Sūtra‘s Chapter Twelve Purpose: This briefing provides a detailed review of the main themes and most important ideas presented in the provided sources regarding the Dragon Girl’s story in the Lotus Sūtra, highlighting its significance for Mahāyāna Buddhist doctrine, particularly concerning…

  William Altig

  August 8, 2025

  Chapter 12, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  Avalokiteśvara, Bodhi, Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī, Buddhism, Buddhist art, Chapter Twelve, Devadatta, Dharma, Dragon Girl, Dragon King Sāgara, East Asian Buddhism, Emptiness (Śūnyatā), Enlightenment, Expedient Means (Upāya), Female Buddhahood, Five Obstacles, Gender Transformation, Guanyin, Henjō Nanshi, Instantaneous Enlightenment, Lotus Sūtra, Mahāyāna Buddhism, Meditation, Nichiren Buddhism, Nichiren Daishonin, Nāga, One Vehicle (Ekayāna), Patriarchal Prejudices, Philosophy, Precious Jewel, Religion, Sokushin Jōbutsu, Spiritual Equality, Spirituality, Spotless World of the South, Subitism, Sudden Enlightenment, Sudhana, Three Thousand Realms in a Single Moment of Life (Ichinen Sanzen), Tiantai School, universal salvation, Wisdom Accumulated, Zhiyi, Śāriputra

• Devadatta’s Enlightenment in the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren’s Philosophy

  

  1. Executive Summary This briefing examines the paradoxical concept of Devadatta’s enlightenment, a central tenet in the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren’s philosophy. Devadatta, cousin and notorious adversary of Shakyamuni Buddha, committed two of the five “Anantarika-karma” (grave offenses) and was traditionally condemned to the Avīci Hell, a realm of incessant suffering. However, the Lotus Sutra,…

  William Altig

  August 7, 2025

  Chapter 12, Nichiren, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  Adversaries as Teachers, Arhatship, Avici Hell, Bodhisattva Ideal, Buddha, Buddhahood, Buddhism, Changing Poison into Medicine, compassion., Devadatta, Dharma, Dragon King’s Daughter, Enlightenment, Ethical Implications, Final Dharma Age, Five Anantarika-karma, Grave Offenses, Heavenly King Buddha, Hell of Incessant Suffering, Ichinen Sanzen, Inherent Buddha-nature, Instantaneous Enlightenment, karma, Karmic Retribution, Kitō-shō, Lotus Sutra, Mahayana Buddhism, Mappo, Meditation, Nichiren, Non-dualistic Perspective, Philosophy, Religion, Schism in Sangha, Shakyamuni Buddha, Soteriology, Spiritual Growth, Theravada Buddhism, Treatise on Prayers, Universal Buddhahood, universal salvation

• The Universal Vow: Merit, Enlightenment, and the Legacy of the Brahma Kings in the Lotus Sutra

  

  I. Introduction: The Universal Aspiration for Enlightenment The human spirit often harbors a profound yearning for its endeavors to resonate beyond the personal sphere, contributing to a larger, universal good. The verses presented— May the merits we have accumulated by this offeringBe distributed among all living beings,And may we and all other living beingsAttain the…

  William Altig

  May 16, 2025

  Uncategorized

  Bodhicitta, Bodhisattva Path, Brahma Kings, Buddha, Buddhism, Chapter Seven, Daitsū Chishō Butsu, Dedication of Merit (Pariṇāmanā), Dharmapāla, Enlightenment, Great-Universal-Wisdom-Excellence Buddha, Inherent Buddha-Nature (Tathāgatagarbha), Lotus Sutra, Mahayana Buddhism, Meditation, Merit (Puṇya), Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, One Vehicle (Ekayāna), Parable of the Conjured City, Philosophy, Religion, Skillful Means (Upāya-kauśalya), The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings (OTT)., universal salvation, universal vow