The Seventy-ninth of 108 Gates Of Dharma Illumination

[Shokai]

The Seventy-ninth Gate: Right Livelihood

Right livelihood is a gate of Dharma illumination; for [with it] we get rid of all evil ways. (Nishijima/Cross)
Right livelihood is a gate of realizing dharma; it prevents all unwholesome paths. (Tanahashi)

Gate Gatha:

May we, together with all buddhas;
Practice Right Livelihood,
That we may remove all evil ways.

Reflection Prompts:
1. How does Right livelihood irradicate or prevent all evil ways?
2. Does that happen automatically?
3. Write a new Capping Verse.

Capping Verse:

Doing the good work
We plant seeds
That bear fruit for all.

stlah
合掌,生開
gassho, Shokai
stlah
仁道 生開 / Jindo Shokai

[Choujou]

Reflection Prompts:
1. How does Right livelihood irradicate or prevent all evil ways?
2. Does that happen automatically?
3. Write a new Capping Verse.

1. When one considers one’s work/profession in all of its facets and intricacies, it is to ensure that what we do is helpful and healthful to all involved. We try our best to make sure that it is beneficial and not detrimental to humanity, and that what we do does not exploit any sentient being or resource. Taking such a careful look prevents us from “all evil ways”. Now if everyone in the world did this…

2. No, sometimes adjustments need to be made to ensure that no evil deeds are being performed in completion of whatever task/work is being done. One must also keep a watchful eye that evil deeds don’t creep back in!

3. Working with Dharma
In mind,
Making Dharma work.

Gassho,
Choujou

sat/lah today

[Furyu]

By conducting our work and our daily life with mindfulness of the precepts, we act more gently and with more care. Practicing right livelihood is always a work in progress. The result is better from a buddhist perspecitve since it is an active attempt at putting an end to the suffering of self and others.

Thanks Choujou . That is well put.

caring for all beings
harmless in working
harmless in living


Fūryū
satlah

[Tairin]

One isn’t truly practicing Right Livelihood if one is participating in evil ways. They are mutually exclusive.


Tairin
sat today and lah