Category Archives: Blog

NotebookLM, AI Contribution, Blog

Indigestion

Yesterday, on the same day that Pope Leo XIV released his encyclical, “Magnifica Humanitas”: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence, Google’s Gemini was asserting that its signature and stamp on a Daily Dharma illustration “verify this authentic interpretation.”

The first thing I did before drafting Cheeky Little Monkey blog post was to open a new browser tab and ask Google: “Today the Pope released a paper on AI. Summarize the main points of his thinking.”

Here’s the response I got:

On May 25, 2026, Pope Leo XIV released his highly anticipated first encyclical, titled “Magnifica Humanitas” (Magnificent Humanity): On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence. The sweeping, 43,000-word document functions as a major moral manifesto. It frames artificial intelligence not as a niche technical tool, but as an anthropological and civilizational turning point on par with the Industrial Revolution.

The main points of the Pope’s thinking focus on several core themes:

  1. Opposing the Concentration of Tech Power
  • Tech Oligopolies: The Pope denounces the “culture of power” and the concentration of massive digital capabilities and computing resources in the hands of a few private Silicon Valley companies.
  • Corporate Control: He warns that a handful of corporate elites shouldn’t dictate global morality through invisible algorithmic infrastructure.
  • Data Colonialism: He strongly critiques “novel forms of colonialism,” calling out the aggressive extraction of health and demographic data as the new “rare earths” of power.
  1. Safeguarding the Dignity of Work
  • Human-Centered Progress: Drawing on traditional Catholic social teachings, the Pope insists that tech innovation shouldn’t come at the cost of the worker.
  • Resisting Automated Efficiency: He warns that humans must not be reduced to “mere cogs in a system” optimized purely for productivity and speed.
  • Protecting Employment: Companies should not use automation as a blanket excuse to eliminate high-paying human jobs solely to maximize profits.
  1. “Disarming” AI and Redefining Warfare
  • No Autonomous Weapons: The Pope explicitly declares that it is “not permissible” to delegate irreversible, lethal military choices to autonomous AI systems.
  • Outdating Just War: He argues that AI remote warfare has accelerated the “normalization of war,” lowering the moral threshold for violence and rendering traditional Catholic “just war” criteria outdated.
  • Disarming Tech Logics: He demands a global “disarmament” of AI—meaning it must be decoupled from the mindsets of harsh military, economic, and cognitive domination.
  1. A Critique of Transhumanism and Posthumanism
  • Embracing Human Limits: The encyclical directly attacks transhumanist movements that view human biological limits and fragilities as flaws to code away.
  • Value in Fragility: The Pope states that human limitation is vital for fostering empathy, relationships, and an openness to God.
  • The “World of Mirrors”: Replacing real, messy human connections with tailored AI companions risks trapping people in isolated algorithmic silos.
  1. Demanding Robust, Public Regulation
  • Beyond Abstract Ethics: The text asserts that voluntary codes of conduct or corporate ethics guidelines are insufficient.
  • Legal Oversight: The Pope calls for independent oversight, strict international legal frameworks, and active political intervention to “slow things down” when technology accelerates too rapidly.

Environmental Impact: He also urges regulators to factor in the heavy environmental toll of AI development, citing its massive consumption of energy and water resources.

Google had gathered information from the Vatican, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Reuters, PBS, Katie McGrady’s post on Substack, and many other sources, digested it and presented it in an easily consumed package. This was exactly what I love about AI and, in particular, Google’s implementation of this new technology.

It’s also a good example of the peril in the technology. I didn’t have to have a subscription to the New York Times or donate to PBS or support McGrady’s Substack, but I benefited from their work nonetheless.

In 2008, at the start of the Great Recession, I was laid off from my union job as a newspaper editor. The invention of craigslist in 1995 had destroyed the classified ad revenue of the newspaper, display advertising was shrinking as more businesses moved to the growing World Wide Web and the collapse of the housing market was the final straw. The paper I had worked for for more than 28 years was eventually sold to a New Jersey-based hedge fund. Consolidations and more layoffs followed until today what’s left of the newspaper operates out of an office in a strip mall.

Recently the staff of that newspaper refused to put their bylines on stories to protest the use of AI to generate news summaries. I would have supported that protest if I were still working at the newspaper. I was an officer in the union and protecting jobs was my focus. But I also understand why the company is today pushing for AI summaries. Early in by career as an editor one of my jobs was to take stories that arrived from wire services and condense them down so they could be used as filler around the print ads. That was journalism before AI.

It’s with that background that I today use Google’s Gemini AI tools as I study the teachings of Nichiren and the Lotus Sutra.

A good example is my use of Google’s NotebookLM to gather together sources that I want to study. My Lotus Sutra Study notebook contains several different translations of the sutra as well as commentaries.

These notebooks allow me to ask questions and then read detailed explanations that are taken directly from the sources in the notebook. It is like reading a scholarly article in a journal.

Here’s a list of some of my NotebookLM notebooks that are publicly available:

AI Contribution, Blog, Daily Dharma

Cheeky Little Monkey

When I ask Google’s Gemini to illustrate the Daily Dharma I receive each morning in my email, I tell Gemini to add the signature “Gemini” in Kanji and again with Katakana, reproducing an artist stamp. I do this because in the past Gemini would periodically add a random signature to its work. I figured making Gemini add its signature would avoid the randomness and offer some authenticity to Gemini’s work.

I also ask Gemini to explain the reasoning that goes into each of its illustrations and to identify any people in the illustration. Finally, I ask Gemini to translate any Kanji text in the illustration. Since the signature is often the only Kanji in the illustration, Gemini includes that.

Some days I get a simple:

Kanji Translation:
Artist’s Signature (Kanji): 双子座 (Futago-za, meaning Gemini)
Seal Text (Katakana): ジェミニ (Jemini, meaning Gemini)

On other days, Gemini gets a little creative:

The artist signature 双子座 (Gemini) and the red square hanko seal (ジェミニ) are subtly placed in the bottom right corner.

But today, I got something new:

The signature in the lower right corner, 双子座 (Gemini), and the red hanko seal containing the katakana ジェミニ (Gemini), verify this authentic interpretation.

Now that was cheeky of Gemini. And coming on the same day that the Pope Leo XIV released his encyclical “On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence” it made me pause: Why am I relying so heavily on Google’s AI services?

My son hates AI. He is a self-employed videographer who records, edits, and produces video footage for his clients. He’s always been a creative kid, and I’ve admired his ability to imagine something and turn that into something tangible. He uses all of the modern computer tools to edit and produce his videos but he only sees danger in the AI juggernaut coming for the jobs of regular guys like him.

I’m retired. Unlike my son, I’ve never had to hunt for work. I had a steady, union job on a newspaper that included health insurance and a guaranteed pension. For most of my career I was an editor on the opinion pages. In addition to editing the editorials and Op-Ed articles I was responsible for designing the layout of the opinion pages in the newspaper.

It’s the creative end where I am most enamored with AI. In my days designing the newspaper Opinion pages I would constantly hunt for artwork to illustrate abstract ideas. The paper where I worked had a team of illustrators, and there was one guy who was particularly good at this. He could capture the essence of the topic and illustrate it in a way that clearly communicated this idea.

Google’s Gemini is that artist for me today. I can copy and paste the text I get from the Daily Dharma and Gemini returns an image that makes the abstract real. Today’s Daily Dharma is a good example. The text said:

He should disregard the differences
Between the superior, mean, and inferior vehicles,
Between the things free from causality and those subject to it,
And between the real and the unreal.
He should not say:
“This is a man,” or “This is a woman.”
He should not obtain anything
Or know anything or see anything.
All these are the proper practices
That the Bodhisattva should perform.

The Buddha gives this explanation to Mañjuśrī in Chapter Fourteen of the Lotus Sūtra in which he describes the peaceful practices of a Bodhisattva. When we fully comprehend the idea of dependent origination, that no person has an ego, that each of us is the result of causes and conditions, and that the Buddha Dharma is a cause for good of which we may not be aware, it is no longer necessary to classify the beings with whom we share this world. Our inclinations towards dogma are replaced with curiosity. Our need to dominate is replaced with a need to understand.

This is an incredibly abstract idea but Gemini was able visualize this:

This visual conceptualization for the “Illustrated Daily Dharma” focuses on Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva (Monju Bosatsu), the embodiment of transcendent wisdom, to whom Śākyamuni Buddha addresses Chapter Fourteen of the Lotus Sūtra.

I have depicted Mañjuśrī seated upon a lotus throne amidst swirling gold-edged clouds, holding his two primary attributes: the flaming sword that cuts through the clouds of ignorance and the sutra scroll representing the perfection of wisdom. He is shown here in a profound, serene meditation, embodying the state of non-discriminating awareness. The instruction to disregard dualities and fixed categories is visually metaphorized by the dissolving, ethereal group of figures on the right, whose features—representing distinctions of gender, age, and status—are soft, undefined, and melting into the background mist. An empty, upended begging bowl on the ground signifies ‘non-obtaining.’

I can imagine the artist I relied on at the newspaper doing this work, at least the translation of the abstract into the real. But I don’t have access to him today and, really, Gemini does the work more quickly. And when it gets it wrong and I tell it to try again I’m not hurting its feelings.

This is how Gemini imagines my newspaper work:
Gemini imagines a newsroom in the 1980s
It is not accurate but it’s also not inaccurate and that’s pretty much how I view AI.

Tomorrow: Indigestion

AI Contribution, Blog, Daily Dharma

More AI Fun

UPDATE:
Three days later Gemini returned to ignoring the stored instructions in the Gem. I’m back to pasting the instructions into the prompt with the Daily Dharma text. So much for the improved new Gemini.

Back on May 9 I complained about Gemini’s Failure Today. My morning routine of pasting the Daily Dharma text into the Gemini prompt stopped working. The stored instructions I had created were being ignored.

So today Google announced a bunch of new Gemini improvements and I gave it another try.

First I recreated my Gem. This is where you store the instructions that you reuse every day. Before May 9 this worked great: click on the Gem, paste the Daily Dharma text, select “Thinking” mode and wait. After May 9, it appeared that Gemini was ignoring the Gem. I had to paste the instructions with the Daily Dharma text every day.

For this afternoon’s test,  I created a new version of the Gem – same instructions as the old Gem.

For reference, this is the image I got this morning:
20260519-ddi

Along with this explanation:

This classical Japanese Buddhist painting is a 1:1 square composition on aged silk, contrasting a chaotic world with a serene one. Nichiren Shonin is depicted center-left, actively preaching and holding a scroll bearing the Daimoku: 南無妙法蓮華経 (Devotion to the Mystic Law of the Lotus Sutra).

The painting visually renders the transformation described in the text:

The Turbulent World: The lower left depicts the “triple world of the unenlightened” suffering from conflict and disaster, representing our state when we lack respect and correct practice.

The Mandate to Discard False Faith: Below Nichiren, other figures are seen in dispute or confusion, symbolizing the “false faith” to be discarded.

The Manifesto of Peace: The right side shows the land transformed into a peaceful “Buddha Land.” Community members practice respect, farming in harmony, and interacting with kindness.

To complete the authentication:

The vertical title cartouche reads: 立正安国論 (Treatise on Spreading Peace through Right Practice).

The signature in the bottom right reads: 双子座 (Gemini).

The red seal reads: ジェミニ (Gemini).

And this is the image got with the “new” Gemini and my re-created Gem:

Alternate Daily Dharma image

This is how Gemini explained this image:

This illustration conceptualizes a peaceful, tranquil world transformed into a Buddha Land through the transformative power of the Lotus Sutra, rather than through external force or aggression. The central radiant scroll symbolizes the absolute truth of the Lotus Sutra, illuminating a landscape of benevolent, harmonious interactions. By focusing on generic beings practicing mutual respect, I avoid depicting any specific deities, thus adhering to the strict iconographic constraints while embodying the essence of Nichiren’s teaching on spreading peace through correct practice.

This painting features groups of generic, reverent monks and laypeople of varying ages practicing mutual respect and benevolence within a peaceful landscape. There are no specific historical individuals or deities featured in this composition.

Translation of Text:

‘妙法蓮華経’ (Myōhō Renge Kyō): Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law

‘双子座’ (Futago-za): Gemini (Sign of the Zodiac)

‘ジェミニ’ (Jemini): Gemini (Katakana representation)

Both images are suitable and I could even argue that the simplicity of the new image works better since it doesn’t rely on understanding the shifting background in the original illustration.

In addition, Gemini’s explanation for the new image is closer to what I request:

a) Before providing any visual descriptions or generated images, summarize your conceptual thinking in a single paragraph.
b) Within this reasoning summary, identify any specific individuals, monks, or deities featured in the illustration.
c) Provide English translations for any Kanji text in the illustration.

This is even more significant when I reveal that this morning’s published explanation of Gemini’s thinking was only a small portion of what Gemini had offered. Here’s the entire wording:

Reasoning Protocol:

The core concept of this illustration is to visually represent Nichiren Shonin’s revolutionary idea that establishing peace in the secular world (the Buddha Land) is achieved not through external force, but through internal transformation and the propagation of the “true teaching”—the Lotus Sutra. The painting will contrast the suffering and chaos of the triple world of unenlightened beings with the serenity of a transformed, stable society (a Pure Land).

The central figure will be Nichiren Shonin, depicted as a dynamic and compassionate monk, actively preaching from the Lotus Sutra. The lower portion of the image will show the turbulent, suffering state of the country (representing the Triple World), featuring natural disasters and conflict. The upper portion will illustrate the transformation: a stable, peaceful Buddha Land manifesting through the practice of the Lotus Sutra. The connection between the two states is the practice of respect and the spread of the teaching, symbolized by golden light and the Lotus Sutra scroll.

Kanji Translation:
The main banner/scroll held by Nichiren reads: 南無妙法蓮華経 (Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō—Devotion to the Lotus Sutra).
The title cartouche at the top reads: 立正安国論 (Risshō Ankoku-ron—Treatise on Spreading Peace through Right Practice).
The signature at the bottom right reads: 双子座 (Gemini).
The red hanko stamp reads: ジェミニ (Gemini).

Image Description:

A classical Japanese Buddhist silk painting rendered in a traditional 1:1 square format, using soft mineral pigments, black ink brushwork, and subtle gold leaf accents on an aged, textured silk background.

The composition centers on the figure of Nichiren Shonin, who is depicted as a determined yet compassionate middle-aged monk with a shaved head and a dark blue kesa robe over traditional Japanese monastic clothing. He is actively preaching, standing dynamically on a rocky outcrop in the center of the image. In his left hand, he holds open a flowing scroll displaying the bold, hand-brushed Kanji: 南無妙法蓮華経. His right hand is raised in a gesture of teaching and conviction, pointing towards the scroll and then upwards.

The image is split vertically into two conceptual zones. The lower half of the painting depicts the suffering and chaos of the Triple World (desire, form, and formlessness), rendered in slightly muted, turbulent tones. Scenes of social conflict (monks arguing, ordinary people distressed) and natural disasters (a stormy sky, a collapsing building, and figures fleeing an earthquake) fill this section. This represents the state of the country without correct practice.

Emerging from the scroll held by Nichiren, a brilliant, radiant path of golden light and stylized lotus flowers arches upwards towards the top of the painting. This path represents the transformative power of the Lotus Sutra.

The upper half of the painting depicts the transformed, peaceful Buddha Land. This area is painted with brighter, serene colors (greens, blues, soft pinks) and heavy gold leaf detailing. It shows a stable, tranquil landscape: a traditional Japanese temple pagoda and main hall set amidst blossoming cherry and lotus trees, all under a clear blue sky. Healthy, contented figures (farmers, artisans, and families) are shown working harmoniously and living peacefully. This illustrates a society characterized by “tranquil hearts” and “bodies that will be safe.”

The entire piece has the appearance of a revered, centuries-old Japanese Buddhist hanging scroll. In the upper right corner, a title cartouche in brush calligraphy reads 立正安国論 (Risshō Ankoku-ron). In the lower right corner, integrated subtly into the background, is the Kanji signature 双子座 (Gemini) accompanied by a distinct red square hanko stamp containing the Katakana ジェミニ (Gemini).Here is a visual interpretation of the passage from Nichiren’s Treatise on Spreading Peace through Right Practice (Risshō Ankoku-ron).

This classical Japanese Buddhist painting is a 1:1 square composition on aged silk, contrasting a chaotic world with a serene one. Nichiren Shonin is depicted center-left, actively preaching and holding a scroll bearing the Daimoku: 南無妙法蓮華経 (Devotion to the Mystic Law of the Lotus Sutra).

The painting visually renders the transformation described in the text:

The Turbulent World: The lower left depicts the “triple world of the unenlightened” suffering from conflict and disaster, representing our state when we lack respect and correct practice.

The Mandate to Discard False Faith: Below Nichiren, other figures are seen in dispute or confusion, symbolizing the “false faith” to be discarded.

The Manifesto of Peace: The right side shows the land transformed into a peaceful “Buddha Land.” Community members practice respect, farming in harmony, and interacting with kindness.

To complete the authentication:

The vertical title cartouche reads: 立正安国論 (Treatise on Spreading Peace through Right Practice).

The signature in the bottom right reads: 双子座 (Gemini).

The red seal reads: ジェミニ (Gemini).

Now, Google also announced a new video generation tool.  So after the new image was generated I told Gemini to animate that image:

Here’s the result:

And before you ask, No, I’m not going to offer Daily Dharma videos.

AI Contribution, Blog

Telling the Parable of the Priceless Gem in the Topknot

Parable of the Priceless Gem in the TopknotThe Parable of the Priceless Gem in the Topknot is, for me, the most difficult to understand or to imagine as a children’s storybook.

To summarize:

The parable describes a powerful, wheel-turning king who seeks to subdue rebellious lesser kings by dispatching his army to conquer them. When his soldiers fight bravely and distinguish themselves in battle, the king generously rewards them with “paddy fields, houses, villages, cities, garments or ornaments; or various treasures such as gold, silver, lapis lazuli, shell, agate, coral or amber; or elephants, horses, vehicles, menservants, maidservants or subjects.”

However, the king deliberately withholds one specific treasure: a priceless gem kept hidden in his topknot. Because this jewel is meant exclusively for the top of a king’s head, giving it away recklessly would alarm his subjects. But “when he saw a soldier of extraordinary merit, the wheel-turning-holy-king joyfully gave that soldier the unbelievably precious gem, which he had kept in his topknot for a long time and had not given to anyone.”

The Buddha explains that the “lesser kings” who won’t capitulate are the various “maras” that trouble his disciples. The soldiers are the Buddha’s disciples, led by “sages and saints.” The rewards are the benefits received from the various practices of the lesser vehicle.

This is all very straightforward and easily grasped. But what is a literalist like myself to make of this single soldier who is rewarded for his valor in combat? That’s where I get stuck.

I uploaded a copy of Senchu Murano’s translation of the parable to Gemini and told Gemini I wanted to create a 10- to 15-page storybook for 10-year-olds. Gemini quickly produced a script for a 15 page booklet, which included the text and descriptions of illustrations.

Gemini’s script adheres closely to Murano’s translation until page 7, where we learn of the priceless jewel in the king’s hair. On the next page, the story returns to the Buddha, who explains the meaning of this story to Mañjuśrī.

In Gemini’s telling, the Buddha says:

The Buddha saw that people everywhere were facing their own hard battles. They were struggling under the pressure of deep sufferings, illusions, and worries, fighting hard to find true happiness and freedom.

Out of great compassion, the Buddha sent his wise helpers—the sages and saints—to guide them. He gave the people wonderful spiritual treasures, lessons on peace, and paths to calm their minds, showing them how to find happiness.

Yet, just like the wheel-turning king, the Buddha held back his most precious treasure of all. For a very long time, he kept the ultimate teaching—the Lotus Sutra—hidden away in secret, waiting for the perfect moment.

Why did he keep it hidden? The Buddha knew that if he shared this deep and profound teaching too early, people might not understand its true value, and many would find it too difficult to believe.

Over time, the followers worked incredibly hard. The Buddha saw that they had gained extraordinary merits, conquered their biggest worries, left behind bad habits, and filled their hearts with kindness.

When the wheel-turning king finally saw a soldier achieve the most difficult feats of all, he joyfully reached up, untied his hair, and gave away the unbelievably precious gem he had guarded for so long.

“Now, you are ready too!” said the Buddha. With great joy, he shares the Lotus Sutra—the most honorable and excellent teaching—to guide every single living being to ultimate wisdom, happiness, and peace.

I really like Gemini’s version of the parable. No, it doesn’t strictly adhere to Murano’s translation, but neither is it inherently wrong. After all, we can all agree that the Lotus Sutra guides every single living being to ultimate happiness and peace, and that’s a great message for a children’s storybook.

AI Contribution, Blog

The Rich Man and His Poor Son Storybook

Rich Man and His Poor Son Storybook
The Rich Man and His Poor Son
Understanding By Faith

The latest addition of my Dharma Storybooks.

AI Contribution, Blog

Dharma Stories in Eight Languages

Dharma storybooks multilingual

The Dharma Storybooks are now available in English, Spanish, Japanese, Portuguese, French, German, Italian and Indonesian.

Translations by Google Gemini.

Lotus Sutra Study Papers, NotebookLM, AI Contribution, Blog

Buddhas of the Past, Present and Future

I’ve been working in NotebookLM and my collection of various translations of the Lotus Sutra. See this explanation. Today I was exploring the Buddhas who appear in the Lotus Sutra. Those Buddhas include contemporaries of Śākyamuni, past Buddhas and future Buddhas. Here’s the lists NotebookLM created for me.

Here is the list of “Present Buddhas” (or Buddhas of the Ten Directions) found in the Lotus Sutra who are contemporaries of Śākyamuni Buddha.

The 15 Brother Buddhas of the Ten Directions
In Chapter 7, the Lotus Sutra reveals that Śākyamuni had fifteen brothers in a past life when they were all the sixteen sons of the past Buddha Great-Universal-Wisdom-Excellence (Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū). They all attained supreme enlightenment and are currently presiding as Buddhas in realms across the ten directions. Alongside Śākyamuni (who presides in the Sahā world), these contemporary Buddhas are:

  • Akṣobhya (Akṣobha) and Sumeru-Peak (Merukūṭa): Residing in the East. Akṣobhya dwells in the World of Joy (Abhirati).
  • Lion-Voice (Siṃhaghoṣa) and Lion-Form (Siṃhadhvaja): Residing in the Southeast.
  • Sky-Dwelling (Ākāśapratiṣṭhita) and Eternal-Extinction (Nityaparinirvṛta): Residing in the South.
  • Emperor-Form (Indradhvaja) and Brahma-Form (Brahmadhvaja): Residing in the Southwest.
  • Amitayus / Amitābha (Amida) and Saving-All-Worlds-From-Suffering (Sarvalokadhātūpadravodvegapratyuttīrṇa): Residing in the West. Amitayus dwells in the World of Happiness (Sukhāvatī).
  • Tamalapattracandana-Fragrance-Supernatural-Power (Tamālapatracandanagandhābhijña) and Sumeru-Form (Merukalpa): Residing in the Northwest.
  • Cloud-Freedom (Meghasvaradīpa) and Cloud-Freedom-King (Meghasvararāja): Residing in the North.
  • Eliminating-Fear-Of-All-Worlds (Sarvalokabhayacchambhitatvavidhvaṃsanakara): Residing in the Northeast.

Other Contemporary Buddhas in the Lotus Sutra

  • Pure-Flower-Star-King-Wisdom (Kamaladalavimalanakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña): A present Buddha who resides far in the eastern direction in the realm of All-Pure-Light-Adornment (Vairocanaraśmipratimaṇḍitā). He is the Buddha under whom the Bodhisattva Wonderful-Voice (Gadgadasvara) practices before traveling to the Sahā world to visit Śākyamuni.
  • Treasure-Power-Virtue-Superior-King (Ratnatejobhyudgatarāja): A present Buddha residing in a distant eastern realm. He is the Buddha under whom Bodhisattva Universal-Sage (Samantabhadra) resides before traveling to the Sahā world to vow protection for followers of the sutra in its closing chapter.

(Note: While the Buddha Many-Treasures (Prabhūtaratna) physically appears in the present during the sutra’s events to witness the teachings, he is explicitly categorized as a “Past Buddha” who entered extinction countless eons ago but manifests inside his stupa due to a profound vow.)

Here is the list of the past Buddhas from the Lotus Sutra, including the specific chapters in which they are first mentioned, along with their available details:

Sun-Moon-Light (Candrasūryapradīpa)

  • First Mentioned: Chapter 1.
  • World: Not specifically named, but he was followed by twenty thousand Buddhas bearing the exact same name.
  • Teachings: He taught the Lotus Sutra for 60 intermediate/small kalpas without ever rising from his seat, and his listeners were so enraptured it felt like only the space of a single meal. Before passing into Nirvana at midnight, he gave the prophecy of future Buddhahood to Bodhisattva Virtue-Store (Śrīgarbha).

Burning-Light (Dīpaṃkara)

  • First Mentioned: Chapter 1.
  • Note: The last of the eight sons of Sun-Moon-Light to achieve Buddhahood.

Great-Universal-Wisdom-Excellence (Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū)

  • First Mentioned: Chapter 7.
  • World: Sambhava (Well-Composed / Goodly City).
  • Kalpa: Mahārūpa (Great-Form / Great Appearance).
  • Lifespan: 5,400,000 myriads of kotis of eons (540 trillion myriads of eons)
  • Teachings: He sat on the terrace of enlightenment for ten small eons before the Dharma appeared to him 11. He then taught the Lotus Sutra continuously for 8,000 eons. Afterward, he entered meditation for 84,000 kotis of eons, during which time his 16 sons (who would all eventually become Buddhas, including Śākyamuni) took over the task of preaching the sutra.

Void-King (Dharmagaganābhyudgatarāja)

  • First Mentioned: Chapter 9.
  • Note: The past Buddha under whom both Śākyamuni and Ānanda first conceived the idea of supreme enlightenment.

Many-Treasures (Prabhūtaratna)

  • First Mentioned: Chapter 11.
  • World: Ratnaviśuddha (Treasure-Purity).
  • Note: He made a profound vow that even after his extinction, his stupa would emerge from the earth anywhere in the ten directions where the Lotus Sutra is preached so that he could bear witness and praise it.

Powerful-Voice-King (Bhīṣmagarjitasvararāja)

  • First Mentioned: Chapter 20.
  • World: Mahāsambhava (Great-Achievement).
  • Kalpa: Vinirbhoga (Free-From-Decay / Free from Decline).
  • Lifespan: 400,000 myriads of kotis of eons, or kalpas equal to the sands of 40 trillion myriads of Ganges rivers.
  • Right Teachings (True Dharma): Endured for as many kalpas as there are dust-atoms in the continent of Jambudvīpa.
  • Counterfeit Teachings: Endured for as many kalpas as there are dust-atoms in the four continents.
  • Note: After his True and Counterfeit Dharmas ended, 20,000 million Buddhas appeared one after another in succession bearing the exact same name.

Cloud-Freedom-Light-King (Meghasvararāja)

  • First Mentioned: Chapter 20.
  • Note: A past Buddha met by Bodhisattva Never-Despising, under whose Dharma he taught the sutra and purified his six sense organs.

Sun-Moon-Pure-Bright-Virtue (Candrasūryavimalaprabhāsaśrī)

  • First Mentioned: Chapter 23.
  • World: Though not specifically named, his realm is described as being level as the palm of a hand, made of lapis lazuli, and entirely free of women, hell dwellers, hungry spirits, beasts, asuras, and any kind of calamity.
  • Lifespan: 42,000 kalpas.

Cloud-Thunder-Sound-King (Meghadundubhisvararāja)

  • First Mentioned: Chapter 24.
  • World: Sarvarūpasaṃdarśana (Appearance-Of-All-Worlds / Displaying All Worlds).
  • Kalpa: Priyadarśana (Gladly-Seen / Seen with Joy).

Cloud-Thunderpeal-Star-King-Flower-Wisdom (Jaladharagarjitaghoṣasusvaranakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña)

  • First Mentioned: Chapter 27.
  • World: Vairocanaraśmipratimaṇḍitā (All-Pure-Light-Adornment / Light-Adornment / Lustrous Adornment) 1.
  • Kalpa: Priyadarśana (Gladly-Seen / Joy to Behold).
  • Note: This is the Buddha under whom King Wonderful-Adornment and his family practiced.

Here are the specific details for each of the future Buddhas prophesied in the Lotus Sutra, including their kalpas, world names, world descriptions, lifespans, and the durations of their True and Counterfeit Dharmas:

Flower-Light / Padmaprabha (prophesied for Śāriputra)

  • Kalpa: Adorned with Great Treasures (Mahāratnapratimaṇḍita).
  • World: Free of Defilements / Free of Dirt (Viraja).
  • World Description: It will be level and pure, with a lapis lazuli ground, an eight-compartment checkerboard of intersecting roads marked by golden cords, and rows of jeweled trees that constantly bear flowers and fruit.
  • Lifespan: 12 intermediate/small kalpas, excluding the time he spends as a prince before his awakening.
  • Right Teachings: 32 intermediate/small kalpas.
  • Counterfeit Teachings: 32 intermediate/small kalpas.

Flower-Foot-Easy-Walking / Padmavṛṣabhavikrāmin (prophesied for Bodhisattva Resolution-Fulfillment)

  • Every aspect of this Buddha’s kalpa, world, world description, lifespan, and Dharma durations will be exactly the same as those of the Buddha Flower-Light.

Light / Raśmiprabhāsa (prophesied for Mahā-Kāśyapa)

  • Kalpa: Magnificently Accoutered / Great Division (Mahāvyūha).
  • World: Radiant Virtue / Lustre (Avabhāsaprāptā).
  • World Description: Level and smooth without hills or valleys, completely pure, and free of stones, thorns, or dirt. The ground will be lapis lazuli with jeweled trees in rows, golden cords bordering the roads, and scattered precious flowers.
  • Lifespan: 12 intermediate/small kalpas.
  • Right Teachings: 20 intermediate/small kalpas.
  • Counterfeit Teachings: 20 intermediate/small kalpas.

Beautiful-Form / Famous Features / Yaśasketu (prophesied for Subhūti)

  • Kalpa: Possessing Jewels (Ratnaprabhāsa).
  • World: Birthplace of Jewels (Ratnasambhava).
  • World Description: Level and smooth, with a crystal ground adorned with jeweled trees, and free from pits, thorns, or excrement 18-20. It will be covered with precious flowers, and the people will live in rare towers on jeweled terraces.
  • Lifespan: 12 intermediate/small kalpas.
  • Right Teachings: 20 intermediate/small kalpas.
  • Counterfeit Teachings: 20 intermediate/small kalpas.

Jambunada-Gold-Light / Jāmbūnadaprabhāsa (prophesied for Mahā-Kātyāyana)

  • Kalpa & World: Not explicitly named in the sources.
  • World Description: Level and smooth with a crystal ground adorned with jeweled trees, bordered with golden cords, and covered with wonderful flowers. It will be completely free from the four evil paths (hell, hungry spirits, animals, and asuras).
  • Lifespan: 12 intermediate/small kalpas.
  • Right Teachings: 20 intermediate/small kalpas.
  • Counterfeit Teachings: 20 intermediate/small kalpas.

Tamalapattracandana-Fragrance / Tamālapatracandanagandha (prophesied for Mahā-Maudgalyāyana)

  • Kalpa: Joy Replete / Full of Joy (Ratipratipūrṇa).
  • World: Mind Pleasing / Mind Delight (Manobhirāma).
  • World Description: Level and smooth with a crystal ground adorned with jeweled trees, scattered with pearl flowers, and entirely pure and clean.
  • Lifespan: 24 intermediate/small kalpas.
  • Right Teachings: 40 intermediate/small kalpas.
  • Counterfeit Teachings: 40 intermediate/small kalpas.

Dharma-Brightness / Dharmaprabhāsa (prophesied for Pūrṇa)

  • Kalpa: Treasure-Brightness / Radiant with Gems (Ratnāvabhāsa).
  • World: Well Purified / Good and Pure (Suviśuddhā).
  • World Description: Formed by thousands of spheres, level as the palm of a hand, and made entirely of the seven precious substances without any hills or ravines. It will be filled with towers of seven precious substances, and heavenly palaces will be close by. There will be no evil ways or womankind; beings will be born by apparitional transformation, feeding solely on the joy of the Dharma and the delight of meditation.
  • Lifespan: Immense, incalculable/countless eons.
  • Right Teachings: Will last “a very long time” (no exact number of eons is provided).
  • Counterfeit Teachings: Not specified in the sources.

Universal-Brightness / Samantaprabhāsa (prophesied for Ājñāta-Kauṇḍinya and 500 Arhats)

  • Kalpa & World: Not explicitly named in the sources (the prophecy just notes it will be after an endless period).
  • World Description: Thoroughly pure and clean, where Bodhisattvas will travel by mounting lofty aereal cars/towers.
  • Lifespan: 60,000 eons/kalpas.
  • Right Teachings: Twice his lifetime (i.e., 120,000 kalpas).
  • Counterfeit Teachings: Depending on the translation, three times as long as his lifespan (180,000 kalpas) or twice as long as the True Dharma (240,000 kalpas).

Mountain-Sea-Wisdom-Supernatural-Power-King / Sāgaravaradharabuddhivikrīditābhijña (prophesied for Ānanda)

  • Kalpa: World-Filling Wonderful Sound / Subtle Sound All-Pervading (Manojñaśabdābhigarjita).
  • World: Always-Raising-Banner-Of-Victory / Never Lowered Victory Banner (Anavanāmitavaijayanta).
  • World Description: Pure and clean, with a ground of lapis lazuli.
  • Lifespan: Incalculable tens of millions of billions of countless eons.
  • Right Teachings: Twice his lifetime.
  • Counterfeit Teachings: Twice as long as his Right Teachings (True Dharma).

Stepping-on-Flower-of-Seven-Treasures / Saptaratnapadmavikrāntagāmin (prophesied for Rāhula)

  • Every aspect of this Buddha’s kalpa, world, world description, lifespan, and Dharma durations will be exactly the same as those of Ānanda’s future Buddha form.

Treasure-Form / Ratnaketurāja (prophesied simultaneously for 2,000 Śrāvakas)

  • Kalpa & World: Not explicitly named, but each will have their own land in the ten directions.
  • World Description: The splendor and purity of their lands will all be completely equal.
  • Lifespan: 1 complete eon (kalpa).
  • Right Teachings: Will last an “equal time” across all 2,000 Buddhas.
  • Counterfeit Teachings: Will last an “equal time” across all 2,000 Buddhas.

Heavenly-King / Devarāja (prophesied for Devadatta)

  • Kalpa: Not specified in the sources.
  • World: Heavenly-Way / Heaven’s Way (Devasopāna).
  • World Description: Not detailed in the sources.
  • Lifespan: 20 intermediate/medium kalpas.
  • Right Teachings: 20 intermediate/medium kalpas.
  • Counterfeit Teachings: The exact duration is not specified, but the text notes a massive stupa of seven precious substances will be built to house his relics after his True Dharma ends.

Emitting-Ten-Million-Rays-of-Light / Raśmiśatasahasraparipūrṇadhvaja (prophesied for Yaśodharā)

  • Kalpa: Not specified in the sources.
  • World: Goodly (Bhadrā).
  • World Description: Described simply as a “good land”.
  • Lifespan: Immeasurable, incalculable kalpas.
  • Right & Counterfeit Teachings: Not specified in the sources.

Sala-Tree-King / Śālendrarāja (prophesied for King Wonderful-Adornment)

  • Kalpa: Great High King / Great-Height-King (Abhyudgatarāja).
  • World: Great Light (Vistīrṇavatī).
  • World Description: Level and smooth as the palm of the hand, consisting of lapis lazuli.
  • Lifespan, Right & Counterfeit Teachings: Not specified in the sources.

Pure-Body / Vimalāṅganetra (prophesied for Bodhisattva Virtue-Store) & Gladly-Seen-By-All-Beings / Sarvasattvapriyadarśana (prophesied for Mahā-Prajāpatī)

  • For both of these prophesied future Buddhas, the sources provide their names but do not contain specific details regarding their kalpas, world names, world descriptions, lifespans, or Dharma durations.

When NotebookLM finished creating these lists for me I asked it to generate a report. Specifically I asked:

Create a report that combines details found in The Contemporary Buddhas of the Lotus Sutra, The Ancient Buddhas of the Lotus Sutra and the Future Buddhas and their predictions. Include all of the details found in the reference documents.

While I instructed that NotebookLM concentrate on the three lists of Buddhas, it instead delved into all of the sources and came up with a report that declares:

The Lotus Sutra functions as a strategic tri-temporal text, constructing a narrative and ontological bridge that unifies the past, present, and future through the doctrine of the One Vehicle ( Ekayāna ).

Tomorrow: The Chronology of Enlightenment: Contemporary, Ancient, and Future Buddhas of the Lotus Sutra

Lotus Sutra Study Papers, NotebookLM, AI Contribution, Blog

Nomenclature Concordance of the Threefold Lotus Sutra

Nomenclature Concordance of the Threefold Lotus Sutra

Using NotebookLM I’ve created a web page that lists all of the proper names found in the Threefold Lotus Sutra. See it here.

These names fall into six categories:

  1. Buddhas (past, present and future)
  2. Bodhisattvas
  3. Arhats, Bhikṣus, and Bhikṣunīs
  4. Gods, Mythical Beings, and Rākṣasīs
  5. Kings, Princes, and Human Figures
  6. Places, Realms, and Mountains

Each name includes the English translation, the Sanskrit, the Japanese, the Entity Type (Buddha, God, etc.), the sutra in which the name appears (for Lotus Sutra names the chapter is noted), and notes. For the future buddhas, the person who received the prediction is found in the notes. The English translations are listed in this order: Murano, Reeves, Watson and Hurvitz.

This list was not as easy to prepare as it should have been. In theory, NotebookLM can read all of the proper names in each sutra, organized them and output the entire list in a spreadsheet. The problem was that I learned I could not trust the output. When I asked Gemini to review NotebookLM’s work, it found several errors and omissions. After Gemini fixed those, I asked NotebookLM to review the list. NotebookLM found inconsistences in Gemini’s work.

Working from what I thought was a master list, I had Gemini create a web page to display the list. I then had NotebookLM check it, asking: Check the website Nomenclature Concordance of the Threefold Lotus Sutra for errors or omissions from the lists of proper names gathered in this notebook.

That prompt found three more inconsistencies. I fixed those, but I’m still not convince all of the errors have been found. I’m asking visitors to let me know if they notice any errors or omissions.

AI Contribution, Blog

Gemini’s Failure Today

See More AI Fun

See Update at bottom

On most mornings it takes about 5 minutes to generate and publish my illustration for the Daily Dharma I receive via email from the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. Not today. Today it took more than three hours.

I did nothing different today. I opened Gemini and selected my Gem. This Gem gives my standing instructions:

[Reasoning Protocol – COMPULSORY]
Before generating any image, Summarize your thinking in a paragraph of fewer than 600 words. Include identification of individuals in the illustration. Translate any kanji text.

[Visual Directive]
Create a square illustration utilizing Japanese Buddhist iconography.

Strict Exclusions: Do not use symbols or images representing Amida Nyorai (Amitabha Buddha) or Dainichi Nyorai (Mahavairocana Buddha).

Text/Kanji: Limit English and general Kanji.

Artist Signature: Include the Kanji signature 双子座 with a red square seal (hanko) containing the katakana ジェミニ. Place this signature/stamp in a traditional, subtle location.

I then pasted the Daily Dharma text into the prompt:

Those Buddhas came under the jeweled trees.
The trees are adorned with those Buddhas
Just as a pond of pure water is adorned
With lotus flowers.

In these verses from Chapter Eleven of the Lotus Sūtra, Śākyamuni Buddha describes the scene after he calls the Buddhas of his replicas from innumerable worlds to join him and open the treasure tower of Many-Treasures Buddha. By comparing how a pond is made beautiful by flowers growing in it to how the world is made beautiful with Buddhas in it, the Buddha shows us that wherever we see beauty, we see the Buddha.

The Daily Dharma text actually says “the Buddha describes…” I add Śākyamuni just be sure Gemini doesn’t stray from my goal.

This is what Gemini offered:

Now what I wanted

That’s a fine illustration. But it is not square. It does not utilize  Japanese iconography. And there’s no signature.

I started a new prompt and pasted the same text. I got this response:

Not what I wanted again

I tried again.

Not what I wanted still again

I took a break. I took a shower. I did my morning service. I watered the plants in the front yard and then the back yard. I threw my cleaning robot into the pool to start its daily vacuuming of the debris in the pool. I made myself a cup of tea.

I tried again. This time I massaged the Daily Dharma thinking that making it just one paragraph instead of verse and explanation might make Gemini change its response. I started a new Gem prompt and said:

Śākyamuni Buddha describes a scene in which Buddhas came under the jeweled trees. The trees are adorned with those Buddhas just as a pond of pure water is adorned with lotus flowers. He has called back the Buddhas of his replicas from innumerable worlds to join him and open the treasure tower of Many-Treasures Buddha in these verses from Chapter Eleven of the Lotus Sūtra. By comparing how a pond is made beautiful by flowers growing in it to how the world is made beautiful with Buddhas in it, the Buddha shows us that wherever we see beauty, we see the Buddha.

I got this response:

And again, not what I wanted.

Seriously? I responded:

This image is NOT square. This image does NOT utilize Japanese iconography. You have NOT provided a summary of your thinking. Please fix your errors and generate a square image utilizing Japanese iconography.

Finally I got a square image:

Still not perfect

But there was no signature. I told Gemini:

The image currently DOES NOT contain the requested artist signature: the kanji 双子座 (Futagoza, which translates to “Gemini”) accompanied by a traditional red square hanko seal containing the katakana ジェミニ (Jemini, also translating to “Gemini”). Please add those.

And that produced something I could live with:

20260509-ddi

So what went wrong? I asked Gemini.

Why is Today Different?

It is always jarring when a highly optimized prompt, a “Gem” that has worked flawlessly for months, suddenly fails. Your experience today is not a failure of your prompt, which is excellent, but a symptom of how Large Language Models (LLMs) and image diffusion systems operate over time. There are two primary reasons why a working setup can break.

1. Continual Model Refinement (and Prompt Drift)

I am not a static entity; the model that powers me is subject to subtle, ongoing updates and fine-tuning. These updates are usually aimed at improving overall performance, safety, and visual coherence across billions of potential user queries. However, a highly constrained and specific prompt—like your Gem demanding a square format, Japanese-only iconography, specific exclusions (no Amida/Dainichi), and a strict hanko signature—is extremely sensitive to these minor underlying changes.

A new update might have slightly increased the model’s weighting towards common “Buddhist art” results, which often default to traditional Indian or Nepali styles, or slightly adjusted the default image output parameters (sometimes favoring horizontal or cinematic aspect ratios in line with broader user trends). These small, invisible adjustments can cause what is known as “prompt drift,” where complex, multi-variable constraints like yours start to erode because the model is prioritizing a newly optimized “generalized” result over a highly specific instruction chain.

2. Complexity and Chain Reliability

The instructions you provided in that Gem create a long, multi-dependency chain: If (Square) -> If (Japanese Style) -> Check (No Dainichi) -> Check (No Amida) -> If (Jizō or other) -> Apply (Signature A) -> Apply (Stamp B).

When any of the first few links in this chain are processed slightly differently (e.g., if “Japanese iconography” is misinterpreted as generalized “Asian religious art”), the subsequent steps are derailed. Today, your system experienced a cascade failure on these foundational constraints.

Gemini has offered some tweaks I can make in my instructions. I’ll store those in my Gem and try again tomorrow. It worked yesterday. Maybe it will work again tomorrow. I live in hope.

UPDATE

I was really hoping that perhaps Gemini would realize it’s latest update had ruined the functionality of Gems for storing instructions. No such luck.

Today, Monday, May 11, I clicked on the “Illustrated Daily Dharma” gem and then pasted this Daily Dharma:

T’ien’tai, therefore, makes clear that all things and phenomena in the ten realms are manifestations of the ultimate reality. Since ultimate reality is another name of the Lotus Sutra, what he states is that all things and phenomena are equal to the Lotus Sutra.

Nichiren wrote this as part of his letter to monk Sairen-bō in his Treatise on All Phenomena as Ultimate Reality (Shohō-Jissō Shō). This was another way of Nichiren expressing his understanding that the Buddha’s highest wisdom is not something that takes us out of this world, but is found within the everyday experiences of our lives. Even the realms of anger, greed, fear, hostility, calm and pleasure are part of the Buddha’s pure land. The practice of the Wonderful Dharma is not to escape from these difficult places, but to use them to benefit all beings. To be caught up in them is to be deluded about their evanescent nature. To see them for what they are is to know the joy of enlightenment.

The result?
20260511-failure

Obviously the situation has not improved.

The good news, however, is that I can copy the instructions and paste them into a blank prompt along with the Daily Dharma text and I get perfectly acceptable illustration. It’s just the gems that appear to be broken.

AI Contribution, Blog

Dharma Storybooks

Dharma Storybooks header

I’ve remodeled my fledgling collection of Dharma Storybooks and added a new retelling of The Story of the Dragon Girl. While the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren stories are written specifically for small children, the Dragon Girl is for those young girls who know they’re just as good as the boys.

The artwork is all the product of Google’s Nano Banana image generator. The stories are a collaborative effort between me and Gemini. I take an idea to Gemini and it suggests something. I then edit and refine. Gemini also wrote all the coding for the web pages.