The Pink Lotus Flower
The [Pink] Lotus Flower, Nelumbo nucifera, also known as the “sacred lotus” or the “Indian lotus,” is often confused with true water lilies of the genus Nymphaea, in particular N. caerulea, the “blue lotus.” However, the lotus flower has historical, cultural and spiritual…
The Great Beneficial Medicine
The way to become a Buddha is nothing special. It is the same as … providing fire for a person freezing in the cold. ~ “The Wealthy Man Sudatta ” WND-1 p. 1086 The Lotus Sutra is like a lamp…
Refute the Erroneous & Reveal the True
Rune_poem_Hickes_1705 The Teaching of Universal Enlightenment The practice of refuting erroneous teachings in the realm of Buddhism is ultimately a struggle of compassion fought with the force of reason. The Lotus Sutra or Nam Myoho Renge Kyo constitute the name…
On the Buddha’s Prophecy
The seventh volume of the Lotus Sutra states, “After I have passed into extinction, in the last five-hundred-year period you must spread it [the Lotus Sutra] abroad widely throughout Jambudvīpa and never allow it to be cut off.” The fourth volume of the Lotus Sutra reads, “Since hatred and jealousy toward this sutra…
Learning To Become Whole Again
While we can intellectually understand the eternity of life and death, this does not assuage the real pain we feel from losing those we love. Working through feelings and emotions are part of the journey to overcoming our sorrow and…
Gratitude Is A Source of Fundamental Strength
When we face difficulties, thinking of all those who have helped us in some way can rouse in our hearts a renewed fighting spirit. Gratitude is the source of fundamental human strength. (The Teachings for Victory, vol. 3, p. 100).…
The Three Kinds of Treasure
The Three Kinds of Treasure It is rare to be born a human being. The number of those endowed with human life is as small as the amount of earth one can place on a fingernail. Life as a human being is hard to…
Awakening to the Interconnectedness of Life
SGI-USA Living Buddhism August 2020 p. 13 The pathology of divisiveness drives people to an unreasoning attachment to difference and blinds them to human commonalities. This is not limited to individuals but constitutes the deep psychology of collective egoism, which…
A Lantern In A Cave
“Prayer to the Gohonzon, chanting Nam-myoho-rengekyo, is not abstract or theoretical,” SGI President Ikeda says. “It is a burning inner flame to be victorious. If that flame of resolve blazes in our heart, the instant we chant, we have already…
From This Moment On
I created this website / blog in August, 2011, albeit with a slightly different look. The most recent title of this blog was “Buddhism and Women’s Empowerment.” I started writing blog posts once a day, M-F until the website was…
