The fifty-ninth of 108 Gates Of Dharma Illumination

[Shokai]

The Fifty-ninth Gate: The Faculty of Effort

The faculty of effort* is a gate of Dharma illumination; for [with it] we thoroughly attain many kinds of wisdom (Nishijima/Cross)
The root of effort is a gate of realizing dharma; it attains various types of wisdom. (Tanahashi)

* Effort: exertion of physical or mental power]

Gate Gatha:

May we, together with all buddhas;
Apply effort in our practice
That we may attain many kinds of wisdom.

Reflection Prompts:
1. What would you say is the difference between the Root or the Faculty of Effort is?
2. In what way does this lead to the attainment of Wisdom?
3. Write new Capping Verse.

Capping Verse:

Sitting in Zazen—
Effortless
But not less effort

gassho,Shokai
stlah

[Choujou]

Reflection Prompts:
1. What would you say is the difference between the Root or the Faculty of Effort is?
2. In what way does this lead to the attainment of Wisdom?
3. Write new Capping Verse.

1. The root of effort is the source of which our practice should draw from. It’s is what drives us to keep coming back to the cushion, to push on even if we don’t particularly feel like it in that moment. It’s what gets us up at 5am to write our thoughts about Dharma gates before sitting Zazen. To me, the faculty of effort is the effort applied in whatever you are doing. With each sitting, every time we bring ourselves back to center from a wandering thought, making morning coffee…

2. wisdom takes effort! It doesn’t happen by itself! Without the push and drive that right effort gives us, then we would find every reason not to sit, not to walk the path, and to do what is easy.

“I didn’t say it would be easy, Neo. I just said it would be the truth.” - from the movie “The Matrix”

3. Morning alarm
Snooze and lose
Get up and go sit

Gassho,
Choujou

sat/lah today

[Tairin]

It would be a rare and exceptional person who realized the Dharma without some effort. Even the Buddha needed to exert effort to obtain his enlightenment.


Tairin
sat today and lah

[Furyu]

I can see how they are both refering to whatever allows effort to happen, what gives us the ability to arouse effort or diligence. I think it links back to the previous 'root' or 'faculty' (faith-trust).
Diligent effort in our practice hopefully bears the fruit of wisdom.

I quite like the capping verse as it is!

Sitting in Zazen—
Effortless
But not less effort

Gasshō
Fūryū
sat-lah