28 / 108 Gates of Dharma Illumination

[Shokai]

11 Quaint gate.jpg
一百八法明門
IPPYAKUHACHI-HOMYOMON
One Hundred and Eight Gates of Dharma-Illumination

[28] Recognition of kindness is a gate of Dharma-illumination; for [with it] we do not throw
away good roots.

Buddhist kindness, known as Metta, is a cultivated mental state of unconditional, universal, and active goodwill, friendliness, and benevolence towards oneself and all beings, practiced through meditation to overcome selfishness and anger, and is one of the four sublime abidings alongside compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity. It's a deliberate practice of wishing well-being and happiness for others, expanding from oneself to loved ones, strangers, and even enemies, leading to inner peace and reduced suffering.

How do you feel about the power of Kindness? What will you do to double or triple your efforts in promoting the Metta system? Does this Gate give you a good feeling?


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

[Tenryu]

Kindness and compassion have not been subtle forces in my life. They have been radically transformative. My practice has taken me from distrust and aversion toward people to a genuine sense of shared humanity; from self-hatred to a growing capacity for self-acceptance and care. That shift was neither theoretical nor gentle. It was profound and unmistakable.

I experience Metta not as a technique to optimize, but as something that needs to be lived and protected. Zazen, chanting Metta, and conscious acts of kindness in everyday situations keep these good roots alive and embodied. When I neglect them, I feel it immediately; when I return to them, something settles back into place.

This Gate gives me a very good feeling. Not because it promises comfort, but because it confirms direction. It feels like walking the right way, with both feet on the ground, trusting that kindness is not weakness but a reliable path of practice.

Gasshō,
Patrick
sat & LaH

[dorgan]

Reality is persuasively (not coercively - there is free will) oriented toward goodness, beauty, and truth; that is its true nature, but there is also suffering. It is sometimes difficult to see or remember that the impermanent leans towards the good, and we can get caught up in moment-to-moment suffering. Kindness is how we soften suffering and gently lead ourselves and others back to realization; this is its power. When we perceive kindness not merely as discrete helpful acts but as the fundamental texture of conditioned arising itself, we can see everything that enables this moment of practice, this breath of zazen, this food we eat, this job we have, this sangha we share, this teacher from whom we learn, this teaching through which we improve and grow. Kindness is powerful, and without it, our lives would be impossible. When it is compromised, suffering is extreme, and our hearts ache for those suffering. Through this gate, we see that our good roots are never solely ours but arise from countless conditions, sustained by innumerable kindnesses, and ripen only in the soil of gratitude.

This gate gives me a good feeling, for through it, hope for the end of suffering presents itself. To double or triple my efforts to promote metta does not mean I must first quantify my current efforts; rather, it is a call to do all I can to be kind in every situation and setting, to intentionally be grateful, and to demonstrate it in every act of kindness. It means joining with others to alleviate suffering, showing others by example what genuine kindness achieves, and teaching others about the Soto Zen Buddhist path, who then go on to teach, dharma rippling out to benefit all beings. Practice, embody, join, and teach. I return again and again to draw on my reserves and whatever wisdom I may have to extend myself in nurturing my own and others' spiritual growth. Loving-kindness spreads through how it lives in us, not through how loudly it's proclaimed. Metta is an action, never simply a feeling.

gassho, david
stlah

[Tairin]

Thank you Shokai

A little kindness can go a long way. The world could always use more kindness. I endeavour to be a kind and thoughtful person. I also endeavour to properly acknowledge the kindness of others towards me. This way kindness multiplies.


Tairin
sat today and lah

[Seikan]

"Recognition of Kindness" is a good translation of this Gate. The SZTP version is translated simply as "Gratitude", but the meaning is very similar. Not only is our own practice of kindness important, but how we recognize the kindness of others is equally important.

I also really appreciate the use of the phrase "good roots" in this Gate (similarly used in both translations). Every act of kindness, no matter how small, is a seed of goodness that can only grow into more with the right time and care. In addition to planting as many seeds as I can throughout each day, I'm also working to better acknowledge and care for the seeds that others plant in my presence so that I can serve in whatever way possible to extend the effect/impact of the kindness of others. This way, I try to view Metta practice (in the broad sense) becomes a bit less of "what I do" as a practice and more of "what we do" collectively.



Gassho,
Seikan
stlah

[Choujou]

I think kindness is what keeps the world and everyone going. Life can be hard, and kindness can go a long way, no matter how small the act of kindness. Like Seikan said, it all has value! I too also like the reference to roots… all acts/thoughts/words of kindness lay the foundation or “roots” for future actions, thoughts, and words to be kind. It helps to foster a natural flow towards benevolence, compassion, understanding, acceptance, and love. Metta practice is very dear to me, and I do my best to join Onsho on Monday evenings to practice metta with the Sangha, but I also do this on my own. I think to double or triple my efforts, I will continue my metta practice but move it to a daily practice. I will also increase my random acts of kindness, which I do as much as I can, but could always do more of. I have some favorites that I do and I’d like to expand a little more…
I think one area I could work on, and I don’t mean this in a selfish way by any means, is being kinder to myself. I can acknowledge and accept kindness from others, but sometimes I am downright mean to myself! I’ve always been a little hard on me and held myself to ridiculous standards at times… I think it’s time to be a little nicer there… a little more gentle with myself.
I also would like to deepen my practice to become even better skilled at helping and serving others. I recently had a few friends go through some traumatic endings to relationships, and my practice helped me to listen and be present with them… as well as keep them present and not dwelling on the past as much, to really hear them, and to help them see things in a different and more positive light. It felt good to be able to help them, and I want to continue this work on skilled means…

Gassho,
Choujou

sat/lah today

[Ryūdō-Liúdào]

For me, recognizing kindness begins with seeing that, in the largest sense, everything is already “all good.” Not good as in pleasant or comfortable, but good as in complete — one great flowing motion of existence and non-existence unfolding exactly as it must. It’s only from the small picture of ego that things divide into success and failure, kindness and cruelty, gain and loss.

From the wider view, the current is already carrying everything. I can’t steer the river very much. But if, in one moment, I don’t add another stone of tension, if I let one gesture bring a little more ease into the flow, that already feels like a kind of win-win for the whole stream.

In daily life, kindness shows up most clearly when I’m least inclined toward it — when I’m grumpy, frustrated, or quietly sad. That’s when I remind myself, “If you’re aiming to be a bodhisattva, act like one.” Or, more simply, “What would Buddha do here?” Not as a moral command, but as a gentle nudge back into alignment with how things already want to move.

This gate doesn’t feel sentimental. It feels practical. Since everything is already one body, being kinder is just cooperating with reality. When I recognize that, I’m less likely to throw away the good roots that are already growing, and more likely to let this moment become, in its own small way, a little easier for the whole world.

Gasshō,
流道-Ryūdō-Liúdào
Satlah

[Chikyou]

I love this gate and reading all of the responses here. There is so much to reflect on.

It is easy to lose sight of the good in this world. One old proverb says “don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater” and Mr. Rogers said “look for the helpers”. When we look for, and mindfully recognize the good, we can avoid being overcome by the three poisons.

Gassho,
SatLah,
Chikyō