Two Buddhas

"Beyond Panentheism: Zhiyi, Nichiren, and the Logic of Non-Obstruction"  critiques the limitations of  Western concepts  like  pantheism  ("All is God") and  panentheism  ("All is in God"), arguing that they rely on  spatial or dualistic grammar . The author proposes that the  Mahayana Buddhist ontology , specifically the  Tiantai school  founded by  Zhiyi , offers a...

"Awakening Sooner: The Spiritual Journey of Repentance"  by Nichiryu Mark Herrick, dated October 6, 2025, which examines the concept of repentance not as an act of guilt, but as a path to spiritual maturity and heightened awareness. Herrick outlines a  three-stage progression of repentance —after the mistake ( hindsight ), during the mistake ( vigilance ), and before the impulse arises (...

This episode of The Deep Dive explores an essay titled "Faith is not reaching out; it is tuning in: The Science and Mystery of Kanno Dokkyo" by Nichiryu Mark Herrick, explores the Mahayana Buddhist concept of  Kanno Dokkyo , which translates to Receptivity and Response, arguing that faith is an act of  attunement or resonance rather than mere belief. The author explains this concept as a...

This episode of The Deep Dive argues against the popular nondual spiritual belief that one should  "let go of all methods"  in pursuit of awakening. Herrick, drawing heavily on  Mahayana Buddhist concepts  like  upāya  (skillful means) and the  Lotus Sutra's One Vehicle  (Ekayāna), contends that while ultimate liberation may be methodless, methods are essential scaffolds for the untr...

This episode of The Deep Dive explores the dharma talk "Gratitude_and_the_Boundless_Heart.pdf," offers a comprehensive examination of  gratitude  as a profound spiritual practice rooted in  Buddhist philosophy  and affirmed by  modern psychology . It explains that gratitude is not merely saying thank you but an  awakening to interbeing , recognizing that all existence is interconnected a...

In this episode of the Deep Dive we present a  comparative analysis  between two foundational Buddhist meditation systems:  Zhiyi's Six Wondrous Gates  from the Chinese Tiantai school and  Buddhaghosa's Seven Purifications  detailed in the Theravāda  Visuddhimagga . The essay outlines how both sixth and fifth-century masters mapped the path to awakening, beginning with  stabilization throu...

This episode of the Deep Dive offers a comparative overview of the  earliest known guided meditation instructions  originating primarily from the first millennium BCE in India and China. It contrasts the methods, aims, and structure of contemplative practices found in the  Upaniṣads ,  Jain Āgamas ,  Daoist Nèiyè , and early  Buddhist Suttas . The text highlights that while earlier traditions focu...

This episode of Deep Dive explores "Compassion Beyond Violence: The Bodhisattva Captain and the Wisdom of Self-Protection" by Nichiryu Mark Herrick, challenges the simplistic notion that Buddhist nonviolence requires  passive submission  in the face of harm. The author argues that true Buddhist compassion is  nuanced and requires wisdom (prajñā) , emphasizing that self-protection and def...

A 7 minute guided meditation on Loving Kindness - or friendliness - led by Mark Willaims, one of my favorite meditation guides

This episode draws a  sobering parallel  between the 13th-century Japanese Buddhist monk  Nichiren  and the 21st-century American political activist  Charlie Kirk , despite their vastly different contexts. The author argues that both figures exhibit  absolutist conviction  and a powerful tendency toward an  "us vs. them" framework , asserting that only their specific path—the Lotus Sutra...

Excerpt from the book Dharmakaya and God

This episode of Deep Dive explores an essay by Nichiryu Mark Herrick, focuses on  Nichiren's perspective regarding the supremacy and necessity of the Lotus Sutra  within the entirety of the Buddha's teachings. The text establishes that  the true significance of the Lotus Sutra cannot be grasped unless it is studied in the context of all previous sutras , which serve as preparatory and prov...

This episode of Deep Dive explores "Treatise on All Phenomena as Ultimate Reality,"  discusses Nichiren's reinterpretation of the Tendai Buddhist practice of  Shikan , which consists of calm ( shamatha ) and insight ( vipassana ). Historically, Shikan required lengthy, structured monastic meditation, but Nichiren made this path accessible to everyday people by teaching that  single-m...

In this episode of Deep Dive we explore the  Buddhist concept of rebirth , distinguishing it from the Western notion of reincarnation by emphasizing  causal continuity without a fixed soul . It highlights how the  historical Buddha prioritized ethical living in the present moment  over metaphysical speculation about the afterlife, a pragmatic approach mirrored in  Western ethical philosophies  lik...

In this episode of Dep Dive we explore Nichiryu Mark Herrick's , "Fear of Death and the Dharma of Liberation," examines the pervasive  human anxiety surrounding mortality , contrasting modern psychological perspectives with ancient Buddhist teachings. It highlights how  Terror Management Theory  in psychology identifies fear of death as a core driver of human behavior, often leading...

This episode of Deep Dive explores "Dopamine, Aversion, and the Four Noble Truths in the Age of Technology," explores the intersection of  neuroscience and Buddhist philosophy , specifically focusing on how modern technology exploits innate human drives. The author argues that  dopamine, often misconstrued as a pleasure chemical, primarily fuels anticipation and craving , a concept mirro...

This episode of Deep Dive explores the concept of  "Receptivity and Response" (Kanno Dokkyo) , a central idea in Buddhism describing the mutual interaction between a sincere practitioner and Ultimate Reality. It emphasizes that this relationship is  reciprocal and dynamic , not a one-sided appeal, where the practitioner's earnest "calling" (Kan) is met by the Buddha's c...

In this episode of Deep Dive we explore the concept of  non-local consciousness  by drawing parallels between modern scientific inquiries and ancient Buddhist philosophies. It specifically references the  Yogācāra and Madhyamaka schools , using their perspectives to illuminate the nature of consciousness. The Yogācāra view, emphasizing  consciousness-only  and mind-dependent experience, aligns wit...

This episode of Deep Dive explores the  Buddhist Threefold Truth , a foundational concept stating that all phenomena are simultaneously  empty  of fixed essence, possess  provisional existence  through interdependence, and embody the  Middle Way  where these two aspects interpenetrate. The author contrasts this perspective with Robert Saltzman's "feedback loop" model of the self, whi...

In this episode of Deep Dive we explores the Threefold Truth of Buddhism, articulated by Zhiyi, which posits that reality is understood through emptiness, provisional existence, and the middle way. Emptiness signifies that all phenomena lack inherent, fixed essence, arising instead through interdependence. Provisional existence acknowledges that despite this emptiness, things manifest and function...

We are often told that empathy is the highest of human virtues, the ability to feel another’s joy or sorrow as though it were our own. But empathy can be treacherous. It begins as resonance with another’s suffering, yet if we remain caught in that resonance without perspective, empathy can curdle into hatred. The more vividly we feel the victim’s pain, the more easily we project blame and hostilit...

All things begin in sound. From the great silence of śūnyatā, the boundless womb of potentiality, vibration arises as the first tremor of manifestation. The universe itself can be heard before it can be seen. In many traditions this is expressed with a single phrase:  “In the beginning was the Word”  (John 1:1). The Word, or Logos, is not a literal syllable but the primal resonance, the first aris...

In this episode of Deep Dive we explore "Defilements Are Awakening: Ritual, Affliction, and the Planetary Roar" by Nichiryu Mark Herrick, Renshi, explores the Buddhist principle that  challenges and difficulties are integral to spiritual enlightenment . Herrick draws upon the teachings of  Tiantai master Zhiyi and Nichiren  to illustrate how engaging directly with afflictions, rather tha...

In this episdoe of Deep Dive we explore a  transformative reinterpretation of suffering and personal "brokenness"  within the context of Buddhist practice and Western therapy. The author, after fifty years of spiritual effort,  challenges the conventional "repair paradigm"  that views illness and emotional struggles as individual failures to be fixed. Instead, drawing inspirati...

In this episode of Deep Dive we explore the intersection of mindfulness meditation and sleep improvement , specifically for better sleep quality and as a treatment for insomnia. It  compares the efficacy of meditation practices with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) , which is highlighted as the clinical gold standard. The text  integrates scientific evidence  from randomized contr...