9 Fundamental Points Underlying the Work of the
Blue Lotus Assembly

1. We accept and revere as our standard ("take refuge in") the Three Jewels of:
   The Buddha as ideal of awakened potential
   The Dharma as teachings and practice
   The Sangha as community of mentors and guides
   "We pursue breakthrough to becoming Buddhas by studying Buddhism with practicing Buddhists"

2. Embracing the Buddhas' ("Enlightened Ones of all times and places") example of Great Wisdom (maha-prajna) and Great Compassion (maha-karuna), we accept that the purpose of life is to:
   Develop spiritual intelligence through study and meditation, leading to the direct experience of the true nature of reality...
   Develop loving compassion for all beings through working for their benefit, as a result of our spiritual insights into the nature of reality...
   ...and then through the interaction of our intelligence and compassion,
   Develop wisdom leading to awakening to Ultimate Truth

3. We accept, according to the teaching of the Buddha, the Noble Ones' Four Truths of: 
   1. Dukkha
   "Every life experiences anguish and disappointment and suffering"
   2. Arising of Dukkha
   "The experience of suffering arises when we misunderstand the true nature of reality and desire the laws of life to be different than they are"
   3. Cessation of Dukkha
   "It is possible to overcome suffering by means of the powers of cause and effect"
   4. Path Leading to the Cessation of Dukkha
   "We can employ the powers of cause and effect in following the Noble Ones' 8-fold path of personal development in life as the basis for living in alignment with Highest Truth"

4. We accept, according to the teaching of the Buddha, that all things (dharmas) are impermanent (anitya), without independent self (anatma), and of confusing personal interpretation leading to suffering (dukkha), which can be transcended to realize complete permanent freedom from suffering (nirvana)

5. We accept the universal law of cause and effect as taught in the 12-cycle explanation of Dependent Origination (pratiitya-samutpada), and the reality of inherent enlightenment at the core of all beings (hongaku) obscured by the pull of ignorance (avidya)    

6. We accept as the most effective initial practices leading to awakening the Thirty-Seven Qualities Conducive to Enlightenment (Sanskrit bodhipaksa-dharma; Japanese san-ju-shichi do-bon), as taught by the Buddha as the Fundamental Vehicle  

7. We accept as the most noble and heroic ideal to follow towards breakthrough to the realized state of a perfectly fully enlightened Buddha (Samyak-sam-buddha) the path of the bodhisattva who strives to encourage the awakening of all, as taught by the Buddha as the Universal Vehicle  

8. We accept as the most direct path to fullest enlightenment the cultivation of the experience of union with the influence of the body, speech, mind, qualities, and activities of the Buddhas as our highest inspiration and ultimately our highest teacher, as taught by the Buddha as the Diamond Vehicle

9. We acknowledge that in different countries and cultures of the world there are differing traditions with regard to the ways of life of members of the Buddhist order, popular Buddhist beliefs and practices, rites and ceremonies, teacher lineages and affiliations, customs, clothes, diet, and habits, and accept that these varying external forms and expressions do not in any way alter the truth of the essential teachings of Buddhism