30 / 108 Gates of Dharma Illumination

[Shokai]

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

[30] No self-deception is a gate of Dharma-illumination; for [with it] we do not praise ourselves.

In Buddhism, self-deception is the root of suffering, stemming from the illusion of a solid, permanent "self" (ego) that we cling to, creating desires, fears, and attachments; the path involves mindfulness, wisdom, and direct observation to see through this illusion. Realizing "No-self", impermanence and interconnectedness will achieve freedom. Practices focus on observing the mind's narrative-building without identification, dismantling the five poisons (greed, hatred, delusion, pride, jealousy) that fuel self-deception, and cultivating Right View help to understand reality as it is, not as the ego perceives it.

This is not easy to achieve. How would propose that it be cultivated? and, How do you suppose that would make you feel?



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

[Tenryu]

I think no self-deception is not something to be achieved, but something that becomes visible in practice. And it is not easy. From early on, many of us are trained in simple reward patterns, but self-deception goes further than wanting approval. It also shows up as avoiding discomfort, clinging to fixed views, telling ourselves convenient stories, or quietly ignoring what we would rather not see.

Zazen plays a central role here. Sitting still, the mind produces explanations, identities, and narratives that try to smooth things over or secure ground. Nothing has to be pushed away. Seeing these movements clearly already weakens their hold. Off the cushion, this continues as noticing when I rationalize, minimize, or look away and choosing to stay present instead.

When self-deception loosens, even briefly, the feeling is grounding and clarifying. There is less distortion and less inner negotiation. Experience becomes simpler, more direct, and easier to live with.

Gasshō,
Tenryū
satt&lah

[Tairin]

Thank you Shokai

You are not kidding that it isn’t easy to cultivate no self-deception. I don’t think there is any secret. Just keep practicing, keep working with what comes up. Fail? Just keep trying.

Sounds simple. Not easy.


Tairin
sat today and lah

[dorgan]

We cannot simultaneously deceive ourselves and see clearly. Self-deception (自欺, jiki) operates through a willful turning away from what we know to be true about ourselves. Self-praise becomes the mechanism through which this turning-away occurs: we construct flattering narratives that obscure our actual conditions, motivations, and attainments. The gate's logic unfolds as follows: when we praise ourselves, we engage in a kind of strategic misrecognition. We highlight qualities we wish to possess while minimizing or ignoring those that contradict this preferred self-image. This isn't mere pride; it's an active falsification of our experience. The practitioner who praises their own spiritual advancement, for instance, has already lost the very qualities they claim because genuine realization includes seeing through such self-serving constructions.

The connection to "Dharma illumination" (法明門, hōmyōmon) is direct: illumination requires seeing things as they are, which demands unflinching honesty about one's own mind and conduct. Self-deception makes this impossible. The Dharma illuminates when we cease manufacturing false light. While we often think of delusion as misperception of external reality, this gate identifies the more pernicious delusion in our relationship to ourselves. We are both deceiver and deceived—a condition that perpetuates suffering precisely because it feels like truth. The gate thus establishes a threshold: enter through relinquishing self-flattery, and clarity becomes possible.

How would I propose that this be cultivated? I propose that the best way to cultivate "no self-deception" is radical self-honesty and humility, turning away from attachment to the fleeting thoughts and feelings that arise in response to experience, and from noticing and praising oneself. Our propensity to label and categorize artificially dissects existence into discrete packages and opinions that have nothing to do with reality (though in an interesting way they must also be a part of reality, just not how reality is) and everything to do with what we have learned from others, our genetic inheritance (cognition and physical feelings and senses - how we are aware of existence), and our own naive attempts to make sense out of a life that does not need to be understood so much as lived with an immediacy and directness only possible in the absence of those labels and categories. Labels and categories distance us from truth. Setting them aside opens a door to the freedom to live in truth.

How do you suppose that would make you feel? Free. Sublimely Calm. Objective: seeing things as they are, not through the lens of the categories, labels and opinions my mind habitually and automatically introduces; I cannot stop the flow of thoughts, but I can avoid being attached to and subsumed by them. Self-absent to the point of being present: no-self. Truly able to be kind and loving in the fullness only possible when the self no longer interposes cognitive filters that obscure what is.

gassho, david
stlah

[Seikan]

I like the phrasing of this Gate as "self-deception". Typically, we define this phrase as meaning to deceive one's "self" in any number of ways. However, I think this Gate actually turns the phrase on its head to mean that we deceive ourselves into believing there is a distinct, separate and permanent "self" in the first place.

I don't feel that there is any one "technique" that we can use to escape this "deception". In fact, the whole of our practice is structured to help us escape such "self-deception". Through zazen, we start to see all of the stories we weave moment-by-moment and how they reinforce this notion of "self". Eventually, the stores start to grow dim enough such that we can see how shallow and gossamer they are with no real substance. It is then (I imagine) is when we may more clearly see how we have been deceiving ourselves through our notion of "self".

And once we see through the veil of "self", what is left for us to praise?

Gassho,
Seikan
stlah

[Choujou]

Hello all, sorry for the late entry…

This is not easy to achieve. How would propose that it be cultivated? and, How do you suppose that would make you feel?

Self-deception to me in this gate is literally deceiving oneself that there is a self to begin with. Sure we deceive ourselves all the time, but this is the root of all deception. The heart sutra tells us that all phenomena are empty, and devoid of a separate self. This is the ultimate reality we must realize and become.
This is cultivated through Zazen (and the eightfold path). During Zazen, we let go of the notion of self… or any notions for that matter. Every single thing being observed, including the idea of a “self” is ALL part of the realm of the relative. The absolute is the true “self” but even THAT is a concept, let it go… for me, it’s all about letting go. Letting go of all ideas, concepts, notions… it’s all delusion. These are all expectations by our mind on who we are, what we are… but expectations cause suffering. We must accept the truth… it is all empty. There is no separate “self”. It’s all one thing. When we truly let go of the self and settle into Buddha mind, we begin to see the truth.
Realizing my true nature would make me feel like a Buddha! (not in an egotistical way, but truly realized)

Gassho,
Choujou

sat/lah today

[Chikyou]

This is perhaps the hardest gate to practice with. I deceive myself in all manner of ways every day. There’s a story I tell myself about every interaction. Every time I perceive a separate “I” to tell a story about, that is deception.

The first step, I think, is to be mindful of these stories. What am I telling myself, and how might it differ from objective reality? Once aware, I am able to act skillfully.

I am curious - Five poisons are mentioned here, but I’m used to hearing about three. Where does the five come from, and where do the three come from? Different traditions or texts?

Gassho,
SatLah,
Chikyō

[Seikan]

I am curious - Five poisons are mentioned here, but I’m used to hearing about three. Where does the five come from, and where do the three come from? Different traditions or texts?

That's a great question. I don't propose to have the definitive answer, but my understanding is that the Five poisons are really just an extension of the Three. That is, both sets include Greed/Attachment, Anger/Aversion, and Ignorance/Delusion, but the set of "Five" also adds Pride and Jealousy. Of the latter two, Pride is an derivative of Ignorance (believe in a "self") along with an attachment to certain feelings and beliefs about that "self". Jealousy is also derived from a deluded belief in the "self" combined with anger towards the attachments, achievements, etc. of others. While Pride and Jealously are rooted in the other Three, it can help (as a teaching method) to break them out separately as they are powerful forces within each of us that we need to be aware of.

That may be oversimplifying it, and I'll gladly bow to a corrected explanation of a more seasoned practitioner if needed.

Gassho,
Seikan
stlah

[Ryūdō-Liúdào]

For me, no self-deception isn’t something I “achieve,” it’s something I keep noticing. It’s cultivated by slowing down and not automatically buying whatever story my mind is selling. When I catch myself thinking about how clever I may be or justifying some reactive nonsense, I laugh and name it plainly: “Ah, silly ego monkey doing its song and dance.”

Besides, if we’re all one flowing moment of life, seen from countless angles, why should it all be about “me”? Clinging to what I think I want or pushing away what I don’t is pretty much the root of suffering. So why keep wasting energy feeding it?

Zazen does most of the work. Watching the mind build a “me” over and over makes the trick obvious. How does that feel? Lighter. Less pressure to perform, fewer imaginary gold stars, and more room to just flow with the great flow.

Gasshō,
流道-Ryūdō-Liúdào
Satlah