2/108 Gates of Dharma Illumination

[Shokai]

3 Quaint gate.jpg

一百八法明門
IPPYAKUHACHI-HOMYOMON

[2] Pure mind is a gate of Dharma illumination; for [with it] there is no defilement.

How does this make you feel? And, what does it mean??

Let us know if you have a special experience that shows the practicality of this gate.

合掌,生開
gassho, Shokai
stlah
仁道 生開 / Jindo Shokai
"Open to life in a benevolent way"

[Choujou]

Ahhhhh Love….

Ok, this round I will refer to another version as well as I think it helps to point to the gate: “Pure heart is a gate of realizing dharma; it is not defiled. (Tanahashi)” (Taken from last year’s second gate) Greed, anger, ignorance, hate… these are some of the “defilements” of the heart and mind. But with Pure mind, or Buddha mind, they are washed away. These states of mind do not exist in Buddha mind. All of these defilements are developed from the perspective of “separateness”, which is an illusion. In Buddha mind, the heart is opened and purified, and compassion and love arises.

For me, this gate gives me a sense of interbeing and a profound sense of unconditional love. It makes me feel connected and compassionate towards all beings. It softens me during times where maybe the easier road wasn’t to be so nice, or understanding. This gate allows me to see all as family, and to welcome all as such.

I work in the world of retail… often we deal with angry people, upset about their product or the service received or not received… sometimes it seems impossible to please some people, and sometimes our contentious mind wants to argue or defend ourselves against perceived slights or insults… but with this gate, I soften… I allow for them to say what they need to say, and then I respond with compassion and care instead of contention and argument. It’s amazing to watch the surprise in some, and the peace that falls over the faces of others, having felt heard and taken care of. It is just such a nice feeling to really care and take care of your family in any way you can

Gassho,
Choujou

sat/lah today

[Furyu]

Purity and defilement are a matter for the discriminating mind. I find it interesting that the gate is set up as a dichotomy that in essence, does not exist. It is asking us to read beyond the dichotomy. I think this gate can help us be more gentle with ourselves and others, reminding us that defilements, faults, etc. are a function of samsara but that ultimately, we are all already Buddha and neither pure nor impure.

Gasshō
sat-lah
Fūryū

[Tenryu]

When I read pure mind, I immediately think of the Heart Sutra: not stained, not pure.

For me, purity here doesn’t mean a special state, but that nothing is fixed as defilement—so practice can simply function.

When nothing is fixed, purity and defilement don’t arise as opposites. Nothing is excluded, nothing needs to be corrected.

That’s why it feels like a gate to me: once fixing stops, the field is already open.


Gasshō,
Patrick
sat and lah

[Seikan]

For me, this Gate refers to the original purity of our "Original Mind". That is, it is like the clear blue sky that holds all (weather, birds, planes, lost balloons, etc.) without being "defiled" by anything that passes through it. Or, another way I like to think of it is like a teflon-coated mirror, reflecting everything that appears without collecting even a speck of dust.

When I'm feeling particularly scattered or overwhelmed with thoughts, I try to recall the teaching of this Gate . . . that is, no matter how stormy the "weather" inside my head may seem, the inner sky is just as clear and blue as always.

To be fair, I could use more "clear blue sky" (pure mind) most days . . .

Gassho,
Seikan
stlah

[dorgan]

Before experience is categorized, analyzed, dissected, and evaluated; before good and evil, better and worse, success and failure, anger and pleasure, there is pure mind, mind in its original state - nothing can corrupt or defile pure mind. Thoughts, emotions, and judgments arise and pass like clouds in the sky, but the sky remains itself, unchanged by clouds; so it is with pure mind. When I realize my mind is inherently pure, not as a belief but as direct experience in meditation, I stop trying to fix, purify or perfect myself; I stop adding layers of judgment and striving, attachment and desire. We do not need to become pure; purity is already here, in the present moment. I may become confused or agitated in my daily life, but my pure mind is the clarity that is always there; when I return to it, I am free. The self I think I am is not me; remove all the clouds that keep me blind, and I can see clearly the impermanence of self and its attachments, and realize the interconnectedness and interdependence of all existence. I feel hope.

Gassho,
David

[Tai Do]

To me , pure mind is the mirror mind of zazen, accepting all experience without clinging to nothing, without rejecting anything, without judging anything. I. The day-to-day life, it is the mind that doesn't react to protect the ego, but pause and do a step back refusing to judge and condemn the other person, like Choujou said. To me, it is when I refuse to let anger get the better of me when my kids broke something in my house or when a student claims a privilege over their peers.
Gassho,
Tai Do
Satlah

[Tensei]

Day two and I already need to pull out the Emotions Wheel!

When I read "Pure Mind is a gate of Dharma illumination; for [with it] there is no defilement," I feel like I'm sitting by a lake on a calm day. As others have pointed out, it draws up images of a mirror or reflection.

Even when the wind picks up and ripples form, there is no distortion as there is no separation between 'pure' and 'defiled.'

Gassho,
Tegan
satlah

[Jinjitsu]

This makes me feel unburdened! Practicing and dropping concepts and formations, there is no thing to be defiled and no distinction or defilements.

And for me it also inspires devotion to the precepts

Gassho,
Josh
satlah

[Tairin]

Thank you Shokai

The defilements, aka the Three Poisons are greed, anger, and ignorance, all originate from the mind. I experience the Three Poisons due to my dissatisfaction with my own life and wanting it to be something else.

Example from my own life? Well frankly I live fairly well and have been very fortunate but I also live modestly and try to live within my means. On the other hand I have many friends who are better off. It is sometime difficult not to feel some pangs of jealousy. Yet if I stop to reflect I see that many of the things they can afford don’t necessarily buy them more satisfaction. If anything it seems to only fuel their own dissatisfaction.

To me Pure Mind is the ability to stop that incessant chatter in my own mind.


Tairin
sat today and lah

[Choujou]

Wonderful insights everyone! I felt compelled to post a picture I took after reading.

Gassho,
Choujou

sat/lah today