Lotus Happiness is an independent and non-sectarian humanistic Buddhist community that anchors upon the Buddha’s teachings of the Lotus Sutra as its core practice. The purpose of enlightenment is to awaken the Buddha within to create the greatest values for the peace and happiness of all humanity.
Equation of Enlightenment:
Enlightenment = Education + Empowerment + Engagement
Education
As opposed to learning the Dharma from Dharma teachers who may or may not be free from human flaws and foibles, we are convinced the most reliable way to learn the Dharma is by reading the sutras ourselves. The sutras are the primary sources from which we can learn the wisdom of enlightenment directly from Shakyamuni Buddha himself.
The importance of learning the Dharma through reading the sutras are reflected in the Three Mahayana Refuges as shown below:
I take refuge in the Buddha. May all sentient beings propagate the Bodhi seeds and aspire for Buddhahood.
I take refuge in the Dharma. May all sentient beings enter deeply into the treasury of the sutras and realize wisdom as deep as the ocean.
I take refuge in the Sangha. May all sentient beings be capable of leading the great community without any obstacles.
Empowerment
While continuous improvement upon our shortcomings may be helpful, we believe that true empowerment begins when we focus upon our strengths. By being true to ourselves, we are empowered to unleash our natural gifts, talents, and potentials to create the greatest values to serve humanity. Believe in yourself, have trust in the power of your Buddha-nature inside of you.
“Therefore, Ananda, be islands unto yourselves, refuges unto yourselves, seeking no external refuge; with the Dhamma as your island, the Dhamma as your refuge, seeking no other refuge.” – Mahaparinibbana Sutta
Engagement
We can engage with our inner Buddha-nature through the Dharma practice of meditation and chanting, as well as engage with others by sharing our experiences of practicing the Lotus Sutra. Music, mantra, meditation and movement are the four methods to cover all aspects of engaging and awakening our inner and outer Buddha-nature.
“Those who seek the place of the Bhagavat, confident that they can become Buddhas, willing to practice meditation diligently— they belong to the category of superior medicinal herb.” (LS 5: 2.28)
