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 along with its derivative schools, the Japanese Tendai, Korean Cheontae, Vietnamese Thiên Thai 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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April 1st, 1999, Serial No. 00862 Lotus Sutra, Chanting, Mahayana, Peace, Vows, Happiness, Priest, Lay, Buddha Nature,... |
Apr 01 1999 |
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April 1st, 1999, Serial No. 00863 Lotus Sutra, Buddha Nature, Perfect Wisdom, Demons, Nirvana, Subject-and-Object, Evil... |
Apr 01 1999 |
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Sunday Lecture Right Speech, Silence, Emptiness, Lotus Sutra, Letting Go, Conversation, Bowing, Ego... |
Jun 06 1999 Green Gulch |
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June 27th, 1999, Serial No. 00166, Side A Lotus Sutra, Buddha Nature, resistance, Mahayana, Priest |
Jun 27 1999 |
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Genjokoan Commentary (Pt. 5/8)Serial: BZ-00752A Sesshin Day 5 Genjokoan, Lotus Sutra, Buddha Nature, resistance, Mahayana, Peace, Priest |
Jun 27 1999 Berkeley Zen Center |
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July 8th, 1999, Serial No. 00925 Heart Sutra, Six Realms, Lotus Sutra, Chanting, Four Noble Truths, Doubt, Mindfulness... |
Jul 08 1999 |
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July 15th, 1999, Serial No. 00924 Heart Sutra, Lotus Sutra, Chanting, Mahayana, Manjushri, Sanctuary, Separation,... |
Jul 15 1999 |
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Blue Cliff Record: Case #50Serial: BZ-00195A Um-mon's “Particle after Particle Samadhi”, Saturday Lecture Ummon, Samadhi, BCR-50, Attachment, Samadhi, Emotions, Lotus Sutra, Blue Cliff Record... |
Sep 11 1999 Berkeley Zen Center |
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One-day Sitting Lecture Greed, Offering, Lotus Sutra, Bodhidharma, Liberation, Tassajara, Happiness,... |
Sep 18 1999 Green Gulch |
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September 19th, 1999, Serial No. 04333 Lotus Sutra, Nirvana, Ordinary Mind, Tassajara, First Principle |
Sep 19 1999 |
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February 22nd, 2000, Serial No. 01113 Vows, Faith, realization, Letting Go, Suzuki Roshi, Emotions, Bodhisattva Precepts,... |
Feb 22 2000 City Center |
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March 9th, 2000, Serial No. 00932 Lotus Sutra, Dream World, Doubt, Buddha Ancestors, Emotions, Impermanence, Karma,... |
Mar 09 2000 |
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Works of Dogen ClassSerial: SF-03199 Tuesday Class Buddha Ancestors, Lotus Sutra, Balance, Emptiness, Liberation, Transmission,... |
Mar 14 2000 Green Gulch |
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Wednesday Lecture Ceremony, Lotus Sutra, Chanting, Dharma Transmission, Heart Sutra, Observe, Demons,... |
Mar 29 2000 Green Gulch |
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May 18th, 2000, Serial No. 00164 Rinzai, Lineage, Transmission, Fox, Dharma Transmission, Lotus Sutra, Doubt, Teacher-... |
May 18 2000 |
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Surangama Sutra Class Emptiness, Manjushri, Karma, Impermanence, Emotions, Nirvana, Lotus Sutra, Religion,... |
May 30 2000 Green Gulch |
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July 6th, 2000, Serial No. 00854 Lotus Sutra, Blue Cliff Record, Lineage, Monastic Practice, Lay, Intimacy, Practice... |
Jul 06 2000 |
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September 23rd, 2000, Serial No. 00917 Offering, Attachment, Passions, Anger, Karma, Nirvana, Nirvana Sutra, Impermanence,... |
Sep 23 2000 |
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September 30th, 2000, Serial No. 00920 Karma, Offering, Lotus Sutra, Renunciation, Bodhisattva Vow, Skandas, Liberation,... |
Sep 30 2000 |
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October 14th, 2000, Serial No. 00918 Offering, Attachment, Mindfulness, Liberation, Karma, Sixth Patriarch, Passions,... |
Oct 14 2000 |
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January 27th, 2001, Serial No. 00129, Side B Lotus Sutra, Bowing, Discrimination, Anger, Karma, Happiness, Describe, Evil, Nirvana... |
Jan 27 2001 |
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Arbor DaySerial: SF-01069 Sunday Lecture Humility, Mindfulness, Vows, Lotus Sutra, Commitment, Practice Period, Attachment,... |
Feb 18 2001 Green Gulch |
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September 2001 talk, Serial No. 00062 Lotus Sutra, realization, Silence, Nirvana Sutra, Vinaya |
Sep 2001 |
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Pros and Cons of ReligionSerial: BZ-00096 Saturday Lecture Religion, Religion, Evil, Dream World, Diversity, Karma, Discrimination, Bodhisattva... |
Dec 01 2001 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Sunday Lecture Blue Cliff Record, realization, Delusion, Nirvana, Right Speech, true dharma,... |
Mar 10 2002 Green Gulch |
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Transmission of the Light ClassSerial: SF-01085 Tuesday: Keizan Jokin, legitimate lineage, mind seal, hagiography, Keizan brought zen to the people, Shakyamuni's story Lineage, Transmission, Buddha Nature, Lotus Sutra, Blue Cliff Record, Faith, Monastic... |
Apr 30 2002 Green Gulch |
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Wednesday LectureSerial: SF-01087 A defining moment of metaphor, Dale Wright, time is money, need to create new metaphors for American zen, too green to burn, Daigan and Arlene leaving GGF "AS" realization, Aspects of Practice, Lotus Sutra, Letting Go, Practice Period, Delusion... |
May 08 2002 Green Gulch |
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One-day Sitting LectureSerial: SF-01018 Lotus Sutra (Heart Sutra), seals our mind with Buddha's mind, basics of the middle way are covered (in the Sutra of Innumerable Meanings), power of joy and compassion, devotion... Lotus Sutra, First Principle, Complete Perfect Enlightenment, Nirvana, Four Noble... |
May 11 2002 Green Gulch |
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Sunday LectureSerial: SF-04071 Mothers' Day, women in Buddhism, the feminine in spirituality, story of Buddha - loss of mother, women's place in early Buddhist hierarchy, meditating on death, Buddha as a... Birth-and-Death, Intimacy, Suzuki Roshi, Priest, Tassajara, Emptiness, Zendo, Big... |
May 12 2002 Green Gulch |
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Transmission of the Light ClassSerial: SF-00917 Be careful about taking doctrine too much on faith, Don Juan's two cats; Ananda, every one of these stories has a warning, Dogen: all things, just as they are, are perfectly... Delusion, realization, Emptiness, Transmission, Religion, Interdependence, Birth-and-... |
May 14 2002 Green Gulch |
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May 30th, 2002, Serial No. 00451 Offering, Practice Period, Lotus Sutra, War, Priest, Lay, Branching Streams,... |
May 30 2002 |
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May 30th, 2002, Serial No. 01012, Side B Offering, Practice Period, Lotus Sutra, War, Lay, Bodhisattva Way, true dharma,... |
May 30 2002 |
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June 15th, 2002, Serial No. 00143 Lotus Sutra, Five Ranks, Oneness, Rinzai |
Jun 15 2002 |
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Zazen as Middle WaySerial: BZ-00150B Sesshin Day 2 Zazen, Mahayana, Birth-and-Death, Emotions, Intuition, Lotus Sutra, Religion, Don... |
Jun 20 2002 Berkeley Zen Center |
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2002.07.03-serial.00014 Dragons, Instruction, Sengai, Lotus Sutra |
Jul 03 2002 |
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Faith in BuddhanatureSerial: BZ-00156A Saturday Lecture Faith, Buddha Nature, Buddha Nature, Big Mind, Separation, Culture, Composure, Ego,... |
Aug 17 2002 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Mumonkan: Case #9Serial: BZ-00233A Nonattained Buddha and Polishing the Tile, Sesshin Day 1 Buddha, MM-9, Lotus Sutra, Bodhidharma, Monkey Mind, Daily Life, Buddha Nature, Peace... |
Aug 31 2002 Berkeley Zen Center |
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October 3rd, 2002, Serial No. 00457 Attachment, Impermanence, Lovingkindness, Commitment, Cultivation, Anger, Hate,... |
Oct 03 2002 |
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November 16th, 2002, Serial No. 00171, Side B Daily Life, true dharma, Lay, Lay Practice, Conversation, Lotus Sutra, Instruction,... |
Nov 16 2002 |
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December 7th, 2002, Serial No. 00108 Lotus Sutra, Evil, Faith, Hate |
Dec 07 2002 |
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January 4th, 2003, Serial No. 00177, Side B New Year, Priest, War, Lineage, Zoom, Soto Zen, Lotus Sutra, Aspects of Practice,... |
Jan 04 2003 |
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May 1st, 2003, Serial No. 00295 Lotus Sutra, Teacher-and-Student, Religion, Precepts, Bodhisattva Precepts, Chanting... |
May 01 2003 |
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Dogen - Being Familiar With The Entire BodySerial: SF-00039 Sunday talk. realization, Buddha Ancestors, Delusion, Precepts, true dharma, Lotus Sutra, Oneness... |
May 18 2003 |
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June 7th, 2003, Serial No. 01107 Faith, Vows, Bodhisattva Vow, Suzuki Roshi, Patience, Forgiveness, Practice Period,... |
Jun 07 2003 Unknown |
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RenunciationSerial: BZ-01350 One-Day Sitting Renunciation, Lotus Sutra, Renunciation, Silent Illumination, Posture, Concentration... |
Jul 20 2003 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Religion: A Necessary EvilSerial: BZ-01355 Sesshin Day 3 Religion, Evil, Religion, Fox, Doubt, Buddha Nature, Evil, Intuition, soto, Lotus... |
Sep 01 2003 Berkeley Zen Center |
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On Death: After the Passing of Butch BalyutSerial: BZ-01358 Saturday Lecture Death-and-Dying, Priest, Lotus Sutra, Teacher-and-Student, Blue Cliff Record,... |
Sep 20 2003 Berkeley Zen Center |
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OfferingsSerial: SF-00158 Sunday talk. Children's lecture. Offering, Ceremony, Emptiness, Emotions, Intuition, Practice Period, Precepts, Karma... |
Nov 02 2003 Green Gulch Farm |
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November 13th, 2003, Serial No. 01016, Side B Ordinary Mind, Hindrances, Practice Period, Rinzai, Dragons, Dharma Transmission,... |
Nov 13 2003 |
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Dogen Class: Miracles Zazen, Intimacy, Lineage, Dream World, Lotus Sutra, Teacher-and-Student, Don't... |
Nov 17 2003 Green Gulch |