65 / 108 Gates of Dharma Illumination

[Shokai]

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

[65] The power of mindfulness is a gate of Dharma-illumination; for [with it] we do not[blindly] go along with others.

Mindfulness is a transformative practice that helps individuals cultivate self-awareness, emotional regulation, and a deeper understanding of the nature of reality. It is a central teaching that guides practitioners toward greater clarity and peace. Mindfulness is not just a tool for relaxation or mental clarity; it is a path toward profound self-understanding and freedom from suffering. The practice involves maintaining awareness or remembrance of present experience with openness, curiosity, and acceptance, allowing other thoughts and emotions to come and go. This practice is essential for developing a deep understanding of one's own mind and existence, as well as for gaining insight into the nature of suffering, impermanence, and the concept of non-self.

How well do you integrate mindfulness into you daily practice?

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

[Ryūdō-Liúdào]

Sometimes I forget to be mindful, especially in sudden moments of chaos or strong emotion—but that’s okay. It simply becomes the moment to remember again. Each time I notice and return, it feels like the habit of mindfulness strengthens, showing up a little sooner the next time.

So the lapses aren’t really failures; they’re part of the training. Forget, remember, repeat. Over time, that cycle itself becomes the practice.

Gasshō,
流道-Ryūdō-Liúdào
Satlah

[Tenryu]

Compared to the gate about the faculty of mindfulness, something feels a little more settled here. It’s not just brief moments of noticing anymore. There’s enough steadiness that I don’t go along with things quite so automatically.

That doesn’t mean I stand apart or see more clearly. It feels more like staying present while other people’s moods, opinions, or directions pass through. I still get caught, but not as completely, and I find my way back without much effort.

If the earlier gate was about noticing I’ve been swept away, this one feels like being swept away a bit less. Subtle, but noticeable in daily life.

Gasshō,
Tenryū
sat today and lah

[Guest]

Dear Shokai, thank you for posting these gates daily - it is nourishing food for thought.

This may just be my brain but I'm not sure how to engage with the prompt, whenever I come to the question, my mind draws a blank. Is there any reading or resource you can recommend to help me understand the gates in more detail? And should I understand the question to apply to all of my practice, not only shikantaza?

Gassho
Seido
Satlah

[Tairin]

Thank you Shokai

For me this Gate feels somewhat natural. I’ve always been one who is prone to self reflection. The difference now is the guidelines. Before really settling into this Path I didn’t feel I had any real firm guidelines against which to compare my personal reflections. With this Path I have the daily practice of Zazen, the Precepts, and the Dharma as my guiding light. In a sense now I have a North Star for my mindfulness.

I hope that all makes sense


Tairin
sat today and lah

[dorgan]

I can easily incorporate mindfulness into my zazen, but I want to expand it to all aspects of my life. Being mindful always is my goal; it does not need to slow life down; it does not take more time to be mindful.

gassho, david
stlah

[Seikan]

I greatly appreciate the above focus on SELF-awareness and SELF-understanding in describing this Gate of mindfulness. Like many folks, I have an ongoing, inner dialogue with myself that heavily focuses on comparing myself to others (my actions, thoughts, opinions, etc.). Yet though our practice both on and off the cushion, I'm reminded how I need only direct my awareness/mindfulness toward my own existence as it unfolds moment-by-moment. As such, I can (hopefully) attend to things as needed in each moment (often related to others, of course) without any unnecessary concern for how I THINK others may perceive my actions—easier said than done, right?

This isn't to say that our practice is self-absorbed, but yet . . . it kind of is at the same time. That's yet another wonderful paradox of Zen.

Gassho,
Seikan
stlah

[Seikan]

This may just be my brain but I'm not sure how to engage with the prompt, whenever I come to the question, my mind draws a blank. Is there any reading or resource you can recommend to help me understand the gates in more detail? And should I understand the question to apply to all of my practice, not only shikantaza?

Hi Seido,

I'll fully defer to Shokai for his more definitive answers, but if I may weigh in for a brief moment with a thought or two. . . . With so many Gates to consider, it is natural that some resonate more strongly with each of us. It's definitely not just your brain. I also hit a blank wall with some of these (or more likely, I overthink them to an extreme). To help with that, I try to read each Gate and Shokai's thoughts when it is first posted and then sleep on it. I then post my reflection the next day after i've had time to let it seep into my bones, so to speak.

Another suggestion is if you encounter a Gate and nothing concrete springs to mind, that's fine! Perhaps just offer up a small gassho (whether you post it or not) to acknowledge the Gate and move on. Simply encountering the Gates can plant seeds in our consciousness that later bloom (when the time is right) into insights large and small.

Again this is all just the opinion of a fellow traveller on the path. Please take it or leave it as you like.

Gassho,
Seikan
stlah

[Guest]

Hi Seido,

I'll fully defer to Shokai for his more definitive answers, but if I may weigh in for a brief moment with a thought or two. . . . With so many Gates to consider, it is natural that some resonate more strongly with each of us. It's definitely not just your brain. I also hit a blank wall with some of these (or more likely, I overthink them to an extreme). To help with that, I try to read each Gate and Shokai's thoughts when it is first posted and then sleep on it. I then post my reflection the next day after i've had time to let it seep into my bones, so to speak.

Another suggestion is if you encounter a Gate and nothing concrete springs to mind, that's fine! Perhaps just offer up a small gassho (whether you post it or not) to acknowledge the Gate and move on. Simply encountering the Gates can plant seeds in our consciousness that later bloom (when the time is right) into insights large and small.

Again this is all just the opinion of a fellow traveller on the path. Please take it or leave it as you like.

Gassho,
Seikan
stlah

I will take it; it is very helpful. Thank you, Seikan.

Gassho
Seido
Satlah

[Chikyou]

In my experience it is far too easy to blindly go along with others; in fact, I spent years doing just that. Mindfulness of my own feelings and reactions is a skill that took long-term, consistent effort to develop. With it, I am able to act deliberately and choose my associations wisely.

Gassho,
SatLah,
Chikyō

[Choujou]

I am coming up on the two year mark for practicing with Treeleaf and I can honestly say that I am much more mindful not only in my practice, but in all of life as well. I’m more present… now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not perfect, and I also slip into delusion at times, get emotional about my current situation (accept, don’t expect), or get swept away by random thoughts, but I notice that at the same time I now realize and bring it back much quicker and with greater ease than I did when I first started practicing. It is not always easy to place your awareness in the eye of the storm, as we are used to being in the torrent… but once you start to do so, it seems that it is done with more ease… like a more natural flowing to that perspective rather than one of the frantic ego.

Gassho,
Choujou

sat/lah today