The Fiftieth of 108 Gates Of Dharma Illumination

[Shokai]

The Fiftieth Gate: The Sense Organs.

The sense organs* are a gate of Dharma illumination; for [with them] we practice the right way. (Nishijima/Cross)
Entering is a gate of realizing dharma; it leads to the practice of the right path. (Tanahashi)

*[Sense organs: Eye, Ear, Nose, Tongue, Body and Mind]

Gate Gatha:
May we, together with all buddhas;
Contemplate the use of our senses,
That we may sharpen our intentions.

Reflection Prompts:
1. Why do the senses play such an important role in our practice?
2. How does "entering" relate to the sense organs?
3. Write a new capping Verse.

Capping Verse:
As we sense the world
We live it
Where else could we be?

This one is for good measure

gassho, Shokai
stlah

[Hosai]

How is it that there is one sense that contains all the other senses and yet it is still held equal?

_/\_
sat/ah
hōsai

[Tairin]

Why do the senses play such an important role in our practice?

Our senses are how we interact and understand the world yet we are also told that what are senses sense is not reality. Reconciling the two seems to be at the heart of our practice.


Tairin
sat today and lah

[Shokai]

[Choujou]

Reflection Prompts:
1. Why do the senses play such an important role in our practice?
2. How does "entering" relate to the sense organs?
3. Write a new capping Verse.

1. Because they can both distract us away from our Buddha nature, or help point towards it. It all depends on the perspective you’re looking at it from.

2. Penetrating through the senses one realizes pure awareness/Buddha nature. Then there are no senses at all, and yet contains all senses, no sense, your sense, nonsense, two cents… Make sense?

3. Penetrating awareness
Through all senses
Back to the here and now



Gassho,
Choujou

sat/lah today

[Furyu]

We only have the sense organs to work with and they're our only access to Dharma. It's a question of grasping at what is produced by the interaction of the senses and what's out there, or not grasping at the creations of our senses. (?)

#2 - What Choujou said!

sense creations flow constantly
awareness rides the waves
what else?

Gassho
Fūryū
satlah