105 of 108 Gates of Dharma-Illumination

[Shokai]

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

[105] Endurance of obedient following53 is a gate of Dharma-illumination; for [with it] we obey the Dharma of all the buddhas.

Endurance of obedient following is the patient, compassionate commitment to aligning one's actions, thoughts, and speech with the Buddha's teachings. It involves setting aside ego-driven views, enduring emotional discomfort, and upholding ethical precepts to gain freedom from suffering, rather than mere passivity or suffering. The overall sense of this thing is being intellectually receptive to the nature of the dharma. We “endure” or tolerate putting aside our own views and being in accord with reality, listening to and remembering what Buddha taught and then gently and patiently putting that into practice.

Care to add something from your own experience?

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

[Ryūdō-Liúdào]

I find it funny how quickly the mind wants to hold onto its own views, even when they clearly lead to more tension. Letting go and following the Dharma can feel like a kind of surrender, but at first, it can feel like losing... Looking at you, silly ego!

In the past, I struggled a lot with emotional discomfort, especially fear of loss. Letting go felt like weakness, like I was opening myself up to being taken advantage of or abandoned. Old wounds and scars can take quite a long time to heal, after all.

With time, I’ve come to see it differently. What once felt like submission now feels more like enduring and trusting in something a bit wiser than my immediate reactions. It’s still not always easy, but that shift has made a big difference in my life and relationships.

Gasshō,
流道-Ryūdō-Liúdào
Satlah

[Tenryu]

When I talked to a friend this morning, there was a moment where my own view felt quite certain, and I noticed, “wait a minute, this doesn’t really align with what I’ve learned from the Buddha’s teachings.”

There was a slight resistance, nothing dramatic, just a quiet reluctance to let go. So I stayed with it. I didn’t push it away just because it was uncomfortable. I sat with it. And then something softened. The grip loosened a little, and there was room to follow what felt more in line, even if it wasn’t my first impulse. I hope this becomes more natural over time.

Gasshō,
Tenryū
stlah

[dorgan]

The expression and way of being of a Boddhisattva, being truly compassionate, means aligning oneself with the needs of others, even if that brings discomfort. The alignment must not dilute the message conveyed through word, action, and thought - this beautiful balance between gentle kindness and awakened behaviour towards others is truly a skillful means. I am not always skillful, but being aware of the beauty of gentleness and the importance of remaining centred within the Dharma draws me back to the path and my practice. Each day is a recentering. Another day. Another opportunity to be kind and to be a gentle and loving lighthouse in a sea of troubles.

gassho, david
stlah

[Tairin]

Thank you Shokai

I think the patient, compassionate commitment to aligning one's actions, thoughts, and speech with the Buddha's teachings is directed to ourselves. I am not perfect and sometimes wander or succumb to words, thoughts, and actions that (to my mind at least) miss the mark of the Precepts. What do I do? I don’t beat myself up about it. I don’t give up. I atone and try to do better.

This can be a difficult Path and it isn’t a sprint. It is a marathon.


Tairin
sat today and lah

[Choujou]

Ok… getting personal here, my apologies. Almost exactly one year ago, shortly after receiving Jukai, my fiancé of 10 years and I decided to end our relationship. There were many reasons, and I won’t get into them as to spare you all the dirty laundry, but there were many reasons to be angry with each other. I will admit, I was not very skilled with handling the situation at the time… I got very upset, I was harsh and critical, and in the end the words “I am dead to you” were said by me. We have not spoken since. After the initial flames exhausted themselves and came down to a smaller fire, I was able to begin to see where I had done wrong, been unskilled, caused harm and pain… I was also able to see the many years of trauma from past relationships that I had never healed and carried with me. It was at this point that I decided that I would now fully devote myself to the triple jewel and practice. I wanted to heal… and I wanted to dedicate myself to practice and study of the sutras… to the Buddha’s way.
For the last year, this is what I have done (although I soon also discovered an attention/focus issue as I struggle with my grief) Opening myself to the Dharma, and with practice, I have come to see a lot of the “wrong turns” that I took in the past. (Although I try not to dwell there too long… only to reflect and learn and then let go) Setting aside ego isn’t always easy… it means admitting to things you’d rather not admit to. I yelled… I wasn't pleasant at times. I said some horrible things through the fires of anger. My heart was broken… it still is to be honest, but it is slowly beginning to be put back together with gold bonding, and maybe it will even be more beautiful this way ( For some reason I imagine this as a kind of kintsugi process… slow and precise but ending with a beautiful result). Admitting and accepting your faults is the only way to heal and then move yourself towards a change. I no longer want to react with small mind… but to come from a place of peace and stillness; From Buddha mind. I have found that in choosing this, not only am I healing this aspect of myself, but I’m addressing it all too! I feel like I am changing… letting go… healing a TON of things I clung to for years! Dropping all the baggage has been such a release…

…so I guess this was a really long way of saying that I am quite familiar with this wonderful gate. Sorry to run long.

Gassho,
Choujou

sat/lah today

[Seikan]

I have a new appreciation for this gate this year. It took me far to long to realize that I was creating additional "suffering" for myself simply through my own impatience with my practice. This gate reminds me to "endure" that impatience as often and as much as necessary by holding it gently in awareness until it eventually resolves . . . no matter how long it takes. I have to keep reminding myself of our Bodhisattva precepts and how they, in turn, remind me that our practice is ongoing and without end (". . . beings numberless . . . delusions inexhaustible . . . reality boundless . . .a way non-attainable").

Endurance IS our way.

Gassho,
Seikan
stlah

[Chikyou]

So many great reflections on this one! This gate spoke to me in a more down-to-earth way. It recognizes the difficulty of staying on the path in day-to-day life, where the expectations and temptations of life make it difficult to maintain right speech, action, and livelihood. I can think of numerous times in my life where I’ve been expected to violate my own values (this was before I stepped onto the Buddhist path). I have had times when my boss at the time was standing over my shoulder telling me to do something I knew was wrong. I have had times when I was expected to lie even though I wanted to tell the truth.

When I think of this gate, I think of these things and the need for “endurance” becomes clear.

Gassho,
SatLah,
Chikyō