Lotus Sutra Talks
The Lotus Sūtra (Sanskrit: Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtram, Sūtra on the White Lotus of the True Dharma, Chinese: 妙法蓮華經) is one of the most influential and venerated Buddhist Mahāyāna sūtras. It is the main scripture on which the Tiantai, Tendai, Cheontae, and Nichiren schools of Buddhism were established. It is also influential for other East Asian Buddhist schools, such as Zen. According to the British Buddhologist Paul Williams, "For many Buddhists in East Asia since early times, the Lotus Sūtra contains the final teaching of Shakyamuni Buddha—complete and sufficient for salvation." The American Buddhologist Donald S. Lopez Jr. writes that the Lotus Sūtra "is arguably the most famous of all Buddhist texts," presenting "a radical re-vision of both the Buddhist path and of the person of the Buddha."
Two central teachings of the Lotus Sūtra have been very influential for Mahāyāna Buddhism. The first is the doctrine of the One Vehicle, which says that all Buddhist paths and practices lead to Buddhahood and so they are all actually "skillful means" of reaching Buddhahood. The second is the idea that the lifespan of the Buddha is immeasurable and that therefore, he did not really pass on into final Nirvana (he only appeared to do so as upāya), but is still active teaching the Dharma.
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Embodying the Lotus Sutra Lotus Sutra, Buddha Nature, Emptiness, Religion, Manjushri |
Mar 13 2008 The Yoga Room |
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Embodying the Lotus Sutra Lotus Sutra, zen meditation, true dharma, Perfect Wisdom, Bodhisattva Vow |
Mar 06 2008 The Yoga Room |
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Zen Meditation as Bodhisattva VowDuring this course, we will study the bodhisattva vow, to see how the compassionate intentions of enlightening beings generate, work, and play with the mind of enlightenment to promote peace and... Bodhisattva Vow, zen meditation, Balance, Karmic Consequences, resistance, Confession... |
Aug 21 2007 The Yoga Room |
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Zen Meditation as Bodhisattva VowDuring this course, we will study the bodhisattva vow, to see how the compassionate intentions of enlightening beings generate, work, and play with the mind of enlightenment to promote peace and... zen meditation, Obstacles, Lotus Sutra, Bodhisattva Vow, Soto Zen, Confession-and-... |
Aug 07 2007 The Yoga Room |
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Only a Buddha and a BuddhaThe Lotus Sutra says that the desire to help beings open to Buddha's wisdom is the condition for Buddha's appearing in this world. Lotus Sutra, Soto Zen, soto, Desire, Religion |
Jul 28 2007 Afternoon No Abode Hermitage |
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Worship of the BuddhaWhen a person pays homage and bows to the Buddhas, there is just one Buddha with no other person. Lotus Sutra, Bowing, Duality, Dogen, War |
Jul 28 2007 Morning No Abode Hermitage |
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Zen Meditation as Bodhisattva VowDuring this course, we will study the bodhisattva vow, to see how the compassionate intentions of enlightening beings generate, work, and play with the mind of enlightenment to promote peace and... Bodhisattva Vow, Patience, Desire, zen meditation, Teacher-and-Student, Confession-... |
Jul 24 2007 The Yoga Room |
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Zen Meditation as Bodhisattva VowDuring this course, we will study the bodhisattva vow, to see how the compassionate intentions of enlightening beings generate, work, and play with the mind of enlightenment to promote peace and... Nirvana, Bodhisattva Vow, Harmonizing, Lotus Sutra, zen meditation, true dharma, Bell... |
Jul 17 2007 The Yoga Room |