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.
Title | Speaker | |
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June 17th, 1971, Serial No. 00251 Lotus Sutra, Happiness, difficulty, Buddha Nature, Oneness, Breath, Lay, realization... |
Jun 17 1971 |
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June 22nd, 1971, Serial No. 00250 Attachment, Buddha Nature, Nirvana, Lotus Sutra, Commitment, Describe, Community,... |
Jun 22 1971 |
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July 6th, 1971, Serial No. 00257 Monastic Practice, Lotus Sutra, Instruction, Culture, Ceremony, American, Mahayana,... |
Jul 06 1971 |
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July 20th, 1971, Serial No. 00261 Consciousness, Attachment, Concentration, Composure, confusion, Mahayana, Lotus Sutra... |
Jul 20 1971 |
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August 12th, 1971, Serial No. 00051 Constancy, American, Lotus Sutra, Addiction, training, lecture, Suffering |
Aug 12 1971 |
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January 20th, 1972, Serial No. 00435 Buddha Nature, Lotus Sutra, Culture, Freedom, Bowing |
Jan 20 1972 |
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February 27th, 1972, Serial No. 00187 Intuition, Interdependence, Lotus Sutra, Ceremony, training, lecture, Pain, American... |
Feb 27 1972 |
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March 11th, 1972, Serial No. 00448 Intention, Lotus Sutra, Bowing, Suffering |
Mar 11 1972 |
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March 15th, 1972, Serial No. 00178 Offering, Patience, Discrimination, Nirvana, Community, training, Lotus Sutra,... |
Mar 15 1972 |
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March 18th, 1972, Serial No. 00449 Vows, Bodhisattva Vow, Lotus Sutra, Anger, Passions |
Mar 18 1972 |
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October 17th, 1972, Serial No. 00342 Ego, Consciousness, training, lecture, Lotus Sutra, confusion, Manjushri, Beginners,... |
Oct 17 1972 |
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February 3rd, 1973, Serial No. 00298 Lotus Sutra, Bodhidharma, Nirvana, Precepts |
Feb 03 1973 |
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September 1st, 1973, Serial No. 00144 Intuition, Lotus Sutra, Freedom, Big Mind, Anger |
Sep 01 1973 |
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November 13th, 1973, Serial No. 00229 Love, Heart Sutra, Lotus Sutra, Vows, heart |
Nov 13 1973 |
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December 4th, 1973, Serial No. 00239 Lotus Sutra, Avalokiteshvara, Observe, Priest, Vows |
Dec 04 1973 |
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January 31st, 1974, Serial No. 00252 Doubt, Practice Period, Lotus Sutra, Sixth Patriarch, Hate |
Jan 31 1974 |
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February 3rd, 1974, Serial No. 00250 Lotus Sutra, Bodhidharma, Buddha Nature, Nirvana, Precepts |
Feb 03 1974 |
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February 4th, 1974, Serial No. 00087 heart, Avalokiteshvara, Lotus Sutra, Ceremony, Sesshin |
Feb 04 1974 |
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February 4th, 1974, Serial No. 00249 Lotus Sutra, Letting Go, Building, Death, Sesshin |
Feb 04 1974 |
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February 7th, 1974, Serial No. 00259 zen meditation, Right Effort, Lotus Sutra, Chanting, Offering |
Feb 07 1974 |
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March 31st, 1974, Serial No. 00264 Way-Seeking Mind, Lotus Sutra, Priest |
Mar 31 1974 |
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April 6th, 1974, Serial No. 00504 Lotus Sutra, Dragons, Daily Life, Joshu, Sixth Patriarch |
Apr 06 1974 |
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December 3rd, 1974, Serial No. 00212 Sangha, Politics, Lotus Sutra, Community, Posture |
Dec 03 1974 |
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December 3rd, 1974, Serial No. 00537 Sangha, Politics, Lotus Sutra, Community, Posture |
Dec 03 1974 |
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December 5th, 1975, Serial No. 00035 Avalokiteshvara, First Principle, Lotus Sutra, Sixth Patriarch, Tozan |
Dec 05 1975 |
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Five Masters in the Kamakura Period Lotus Sutra, Faith, Chanting, Evil, Vows, Precepts, Ceremony, Demons, Sangha, Lineage... |
Mar 03 1978 Tassajara |
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December 4th, 1978, Serial No. 00637 Lotus Sutra, Sesshin, Ego, Shuso Ceremony, Lineage |
Dec 04 1978 |
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January 26th, 1979, Serial No. 00592 Lotus Sutra, Equanimity, Evil, Priest, Intimacy |
Jan 26 1979 |
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Application of the Practice - Feminism and Buddhism in the Diamond Sangha Ceremony, Lotus Sutra, Silence, Anger, Passions, Offering, Balance, Doubt, Peace... |
Aug 14 1981 3 |
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The Three TreasuresSerial: BZ-00023 Saturday Lecture Three Treasures, Precepts, Effort, Sangha, Monastic Practice, Lotus Sutra, Daily Life... |
Nov 14 1981 Berkeley Zen Center |
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The Importance of StudySerial: BZ-00018 Saturday Lecture Religion, Study Period, Lotus Sutra, Concentration, Daily Life, Rinzai, Dragons,... |
Jan 23 1982 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Rinzai Zen Sixth Patriarch, Soto Zen, Lotus Sutra, Heart Sutra, Platform Sutra, Doubt, Buddha... |
Feb 26 1982 |
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March 19th, 1982, Serial No. 00149 training, Transmission, Lotus Sutra, Buddha Nature, Dharma Transmission, Buddha Mind... |
Mar 19 1982 |
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April 9th, 1982, Serial No. 00152 Lotus Sutra, Evil, Mahayana, Buddha Nature, Sangha, Culture, Lay, difficulty... |
Apr 09 1982 |
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Six Paramitas and Four Ideas of Giving Lotus Sutra, Study Period, Patience, Hate, Religion, Lay |
Apr 10 1982 |
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April 12th, 1982, Serial No. 00153 Repentance, Dragons, Lotus Sutra, Offering, Compassion, Hindrances, Don't Know... |
Apr 12 1982 |
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April 16th, 1982, Serial No. 00154 Lotus Sutra, Repentance, training, Evil, Offering, Vows, Transmission, Community,... |
Apr 16 1982 |
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April 23rd, 1982, Serial No. 00155 Lotus Sutra, Intimacy, Compassion, difficulty, Evil, Discrimination, Offering,... |
Apr 23 1982 |
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April 30th, 1982, Serial No. 00158 Lotus Sutra, Culture, Religion, Building |
Apr 30 1982 |
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May 3rd, 1982, Serial No. 00159 Silence, Lotus Sutra, Hindrances, Instruction, Posture, Lay, Ceremony, Evil |
May 03 1982 |
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May 24th, 1982, Serial No. 00161 Liberation, Lotus Sutra, Consciousness, Soto Zen, Community, Compassion, realization... |
May 24 1982 |
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May 28th, 1982, Serial No. 00162 Lotus Sutra, Happiness, Subject-and-Object, Discrimination, Politics, Offering,... |
May 28 1982 |
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The Heart of Practice Prajna as Compassionate WisdomSerial: BZ-00030B Remembering our deepest intention; noble friendship is the entirety of spiritual life; connection between Berkeley ZC and San Francisco ZC. Ordination, Heart Sutra, Precepts, Describe, Posture, Lotus Sutra, Mahayana, Buddha... |
Jun 11 1982 |
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Japanese Practice/American Practice: DifferencesSerial: BZ-00039A Saturday Lecture Japan, American, Lay Practice, Family Practice, American, Lay, Lotus Sutra, Tassajara... |
Sep 04 1982 Berkeley Zen Center |
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The Fourth Grave Precept: Not Lying Subject-and-Object, Karmic Consciousness, Precepts, Lotus Sutra, Silence, Four Noble... |
Aug 09 1983 SFZC |
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Mumonkan: Case #19 Pt. ISerial: BZ-00903B Nansen's Ordinary Mind, Saturday Lecture Ordinary Mind, Nansen, Ordinary Mind, Anger, Zazen Mind, Samsara, Lotus Sutra, Demons... |
Nov 12 1983 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Particle After Particle Samadhi: Tassajara LifeSerial: BZ-00404A Saturday Lecture Tassajara, Samadhi, Concentration, Tassajara, Samadhi, Practice Period, Lotus Sutra,... |
Nov 24 1984 Berkeley Zen Center |
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The Four Foundations of MindfulnessSerial: BZ-01521 Don't Bow When You Leave the Zendo, Saturday Lecture Mindfulness, Four Foundations, Mindfulness, Daily Life, Attachment, Four Foundations... |
Jan 05 1985 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Sutra Study: The Meaning of Zazen and KinhinSerial: BZ-00413B Saturday Lecture Zazen, Kinhin, Lotus Sutra, Posture, Daily Life, Sixth Patriarch, Mindfulness, Bell,... |
Aug 10 1985 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Kshanti: Practicing Patience with Life as It IsSerial: BZ-00873A Saturday Lecture Kshanti, Patience, Patience, American, Passions, Priest, Gaining Mind, Lotus Sutra,... |
Feb 01 1986 Berkeley Zen Center |