96 of 108 Gates of Dharma Illumination

[Shokai]

21 Quaint gate.jpg

一百八法明門
IPPYAKUHACHI-HOMYOMON
One Hundred and Eight Gates of Dharma-Illumination

[96] Acceptance of the right Dharma is a gate of Dharma-illumination; for it eradicates the afflictions of all living beings.

Acceptance of the "Right Dharma" (or True Dharma) refers to the recognition, embracing, and application of the core teachings of the Buddha—particularly the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path—as the definitive guide to ending suffering and achieving liberation. Buddhist teachings distinguish between productive acceptance and passive resignation. True acceptance is a proactive, compassionate approach to life.

How do you know it is the "Right Dharma" before acceptance?

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

[Ryūdō-Liúdào]

I’m not sure we ever really know it’s the “Right Dharma” beforehand. At least, I don’t.

For me, it’s more of a try it and see kind of thing. Practice a bit, observe what happens, and see if it leads to less clinging, less frustration, a bit more clarity and ease. If it does, I keep going. If not, I adjust. True acceptance isn’t blind. It grows out of experience, one small step at a time.

In that sense, I think “Right Dharma” kind of reveals itself through practice rather than belief.

Gasshō,
流道-Ryūdō-Liúdào
Satlah

[Seikan]

How do you know it is the "Right Dharma" before acceptance?

To be perfectly honest, I don't always know. In the beginning, there was much taken on the faith that the teachings I received were correct, but it was some time before I could start to validate them for myself through my practice. The more I validate, the easier it becomes to accept new teachings as I encounter them. That said, I always try to meet new teachings (either overt or the more subtle) with a healthy dose of doubt, even if they seem truly legit at first. After all, the Buddha himself taught us to "be lamps unto ourselves", right?

Gassho,
Seikan
stlah

[Seikan]

Ryūdō-Liúdào Ha! Great minds strike again!

Gassho,
Seikan
stlah

[Tenryu]

I don’t really know it beforehand. It shows itself in a simple way. Something is practiced, and I notice what it does—whether there’s a bit less friction, a bit more ease in meeting things. If that’s there, I stay with it.

Gasshō,
Tenryū
sat and lah

[Tairin]

Thank you Shokai

Like the guys above, I am not sure I really know. I think I rely on some combination of trust and instinct. There is also a bit of the “smell test”. If it smells like Right Dharma then it likely is. I suppose though this is why we are told to rely on our own experience.


Tairin
sat today and lah

[Choujou]

Ah, how do you know it is the true Dharma before accepting it? By experience… if a teaching brings us closer to awakening or to awakening itself, then it is the true Dharma and should be accepted. If it does not, then it is delusion and should be let go of. That is one aspect of Zen and Buddhism in general that is admirable to me; that our practice does not ask for blind faith, but for an experiential knowing and becoming.

Gassho,
Choujou

sat/lah today

[Chikyou]

Like others here, acceptance of the Dharma is something that comes to me gradually, through experience. It’s not something that I decided to do; rather, it’s a truth That slowly grows and blossoms through continued practice.

Gassho,
SatLah,
Chikyō

[dorgan]

The leap of faith necessary for you to start down a path you have never trodden before and to a destination you are only dimly cognizant of requires trust, love, and humility. Trust that the experience of so many generations of Buddhists can be believed, love of those closest to you who have brought the message of hope and enlightenment to you, and the humility to recognize that you have work to do, that doing the work is vital, and that you belong on this path in spite of all the uncertainty. Knowledge comes in layers, beginning with this crucial initial leap of faith and then developing and deepening along the path taken. You know it is the right Dharma initially by faith, and later by experience.

gassho, david
stlah