The Seventy-first Gate:
Read the following, place it in your heart and sleep on it. Then, tomorrow, live it until evening when you can leave a brief comment on what you may have received during the process.
Enjoyment as a part of the state of truth, is a gate of Dharma illumination; for [with it] conduct is already managed .
A “Dharma Gate” is a teaching or practice that can lead to spiritual growth: some kind of positive outcome in terms of our practice. A way to approach the truth.
Koan:
"A traveler had given the governor a fan made of rhinoceros horn, and under the Zen rule that expensive, useless objects flow to those who don’t care about them the governor gave the fan to Yanguan.Everyone forgot about it,until one summer day, Yanguan asked, 'Bring me the rhinoceros fan'
'The fan is broken' said the assistant.
'In that case” replied Yanguan “bring me the rhinoceros.'
The assistant was struck dumb.
Another of those present, Zifu, drew a circle and wrote the characters for the word rhinoceros inside it.
When Yanguan asked for the rhinoceros it was a world stopping question for the assistant.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye. Yanguan had just asked for the rhinoceros, and Zifu, the other student, was drawing the characters. The assistant became entranced by the swirl of the brush, which seemed just right.
It was a perfect gesture among many others—Yanguan s amusement, the jug on the floor.
Most note worthy replies:
I agree that enjoyment or joy can lead to a balanced state of mind. When one feels joy it can be like having a burden lifted. Of course we also want to be wary of attaching to the state of joy.
gassho, Shokai
stlah
Read the following, place it in your heart and sleep on it. Then, tomorrow, live it until evening when you can leave a brief comment on what you may have received during the process.
Enjoyment as a part of the state of truth, is a gate of Dharma illumination; for [with it] conduct is already managed .
A “Dharma Gate” is a teaching or practice that can lead to spiritual growth: some kind of positive outcome in terms of our practice. A way to approach the truth.
Koan:
"A traveler had given the governor a fan made of rhinoceros horn, and under the Zen rule that expensive, useless objects flow to those who don’t care about them the governor gave the fan to Yanguan.Everyone forgot about it,until one summer day, Yanguan asked, 'Bring me the rhinoceros fan'
'The fan is broken' said the assistant.
'In that case” replied Yanguan “bring me the rhinoceros.'
The assistant was struck dumb.
Another of those present, Zifu, drew a circle and wrote the characters for the word rhinoceros inside it.
When Yanguan asked for the rhinoceros it was a world stopping question for the assistant.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye. Yanguan had just asked for the rhinoceros, and Zifu, the other student, was drawing the characters. The assistant became entranced by the swirl of the brush, which seemed just right.
It was a perfect gesture among many others—Yanguan s amusement, the jug on the floor.
Most note worthy replies:
I agree that enjoyment or joy can lead to a balanced state of mind. When one feels joy it can be like having a burden lifted. Of course we also want to be wary of attaching to the state of joy.
Joy lights up our way
Balanced mind and conduct grow
Dharma gates open
Life is a wonder
Every bit
Just enjoy the ride
Balanced mind and conduct grow
Dharma gates open
Life is a wonder
Every bit
Just enjoy the ride
gassho, Shokai
stlah
)
Comment