The Seventh of the 108 Gates Of Dharma Illumination

[Shokai]

Gate Seven
Own this reading. Then, tomorrow, live it until evening leave a brief comment as to insights or revelations you may have received during the process.

Pure conduct of the actions of the mind is a gate of Dharma illumination; for it eliminates the three poisons.*
*greed, anger, and ignorance

By “Dharma Gate”, we mean a teaching or practice we can study to gain insights into the deepening our practice. It's a way to integrate our understanding of approaching reality.

The Koan: "Suzuki Often said we shouldn't have "a gaining idea" or any idea of attainment. I once asked him why anyone would do Zazen if they didn't have a gaining idea.
He said, "You still have one gaining idea."
"What is that?" I wanted to know.
He replied, "That's a secret."
- Zen is Right Here pg 56

Virtual experience.jpg
actions of the mind

One poetic response to this question was:

Wild horse mind
Not reigned by force
Only nostrils breathing "Shikantaza


gassho, Shokai
stlah

[Jishin]

Gassho, Jishin, ST, LAH

[Jundo]

Gassho, Jishin, ST, LAH

They are going to get sand in their underwear.

Gassho, J

stlah

[Jishin]

They are going to get sand in their underwear.

Gassho, J

stlah

Maybe they are not wearing any? [emoji3]

[Jundo]

Maybe they are not wearing any? [emoji3]

Ouch.

[Jishin]

The Seventh of the 108 Gates Of Dharma Illumination

Ouch.

[emoji23]

The Zen garden with raked sand, as depicted in the image, is symbolic and serves as a metaphor for clarity, simplicity, and mindfulness, rather than being a literal representation of where Zen teachers sit during practice.

Gassho, Jishin, ST, LAH

[Jundo]

[emoji23]

The Zen garden with raked sand, as depicted in the image, is symbolic and serves as a metaphor for clarity, simplicity, and mindfulness, rather than being a literal representation of where Zen teachers sit during practice.

Gassho, Jishin, ST, LAH

Symbolic ouch for non-literal sand in one's metaphorical shorts.

Gassho, J

stlah

[Jishin]

Symbolic ouch for non-literal sand in one's metaphorical shorts.

Gassho, J

stlah

[emoji23]

[Tairin]

Thank you Shokai

On the face of it reducing our negative traits down to greed, anger, and ignorance seems to simplistic but as an exercise each night as I recite the Verse of Atonement I try to view any shortcomings I may have felt I had during the day through the lenses of the three poisons and see how they may of been at the root.


Tairin
Sat today and lah

[Kaitan]

stlah, Bernal

[Seikan]

thoughts are seeds we sow—
the choice is
ours, weeds or flowers


Gassho,
Seikan

-stlah-

[Shokai]

The two monks in The picture Jishin posted were too busy interacting mind to mind that it would be a while before they became aware of the bites they received from the sand fleas. It reminds me of an ancient Arab Spell:

may the fleas of a thousand camels infest your underware.

gassho, Shokai

[Tai Do]

Practice outside the cushion takes some effort and mindfulness of our thoughts. Many times I act without perceiving how the poisons are acting on my mind; regret usually follows. May we all keep the mirror mind of zazen in our everyday lives!
Gassho,
Tai Do
Satlah

[Nengei]

Wanting to know.
Wanting to attain.

Gassho,
Nengei
Sat today. LAH.