The 54th of 108 Gates Of Dharma Illumination

[aprapti]

[Juki]

Renounce all evil. Practice all good. Save the many beings.

Juki
sat today and lah

[Myo Shin]

Thank you

[Tairin]

Tairin
Sat today and lah

[Shokai]

The 57th of 108 Gates Of Dharma Illumination

Gate Fifty-seven
Read the following, place it in your heart and sleep on it. Then, tomorrow, live it until evening when you can leave a brief comment on what you may have received during the process.

The four bases of mystical power** are a gate of Dharma illumination; for [with them] the body-and-mind is light.

The four bases of mystical power / acting at will :

1) chanda (volition),

2) vīrya (effort),

3) citta (intelligence),

4) mīmāṃsā (profound consideration)

mystical: obscure in meaning; mysterious.

By “Dharma Gate”, We mean a teaching or practice that can lead to spiritual growth: some kind of positive outcome in terms of our practice. A way to approach the truth.

Koan: "Last night a clear wind blew down from the vast sky. This morning the cypress tree* instantly attained enlightenment. "

- Dogen's Extensive Record; Dharma Hall discourse 81, pg. 129

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Most note worthy replies :

Courageous exploration

Keeps us safe and unentangled

At home.

I had a hard time with it at first as it felt more obscure than many of the other Gates. But with further reflection, it finally started to open up to me...

All things in balance

We walk on

Leaving no footprints

合掌 仁道 生開 - gassho, Jindo Shokai
stlah

* This "cypress tree" is the same one used by Joshu in reponse to a monk's question on ultimate meaning. Called cedar trees in fascicle 35 栢樹子HAKUJUSHI (Cedar Trees) of Shobogenzo, Nishijima/Chodo Cross Translation book 2
** see fascicle 25 神通 JINZU (Mystical Power)of Shobogenzo, Nishijima/Chodo Cross Translation book 2

[Nengyoku]

[Myo Shin]

[Tairin]

Tairin
Sat today and lah

[aprapti]

[Anchi]

[Anchi]

[Juki]

Juki

[Nengyoku]

Where is there room for dust?
What effort/volition/consideration/intelligence can I make
With nothing to make it upon?
What need have I for powers? Mystical or otherwise.
No wind, no cypress tree. Just this, right here.

Gassho,
Nengyoku
SatLah

[Shokai]

The 58th of 108 Gates Of Dharma Illumination

Gate Fifty-eight
Read the following, place it in your heart and sleep on it. Then, tomorrow, live it until evening when you can leave a brief comment on what you may have received during the process.

The faculty of belief is a gate of Dharma illumination; for [with it] we do not [blindly] follow the words of others.

Belief : confidence in the truth or existence of something not immediately susceptible to rigorous proof.

By “Dharma Gate”, We mean a teaching or practice that can lead to spiritual growth: some kind of positive outcome in terms of our practice. A way to approach the truth.

Koan: "In Zen, we identify, engage, and struggle with koans not because we should, or because the ancestors did. We struggle with koans because, inevitably, there is liberation on the other side of them. A koan points out to us a limitation in our being – and that might be a limitation in our understanding, our compassion, our acceptance, embodiment, skillfulness, equanimity, or freedom. A koan we can’t yet answer points out where we need to grow, and therefore is a precious opportunity, a Dharma Gate. It may seem like identifying a koan in our lives is a negative process – looking for a problem, a flaw, a limitation, an obstacle – so it’s important to keep this positive framing in mind so we don’t get stuck in self-criticism or frustration. Our true nature is eternal, joyous, selfless, and pure. This description is a good grounding for searching for where our koan – or koans – might lie. If our true nature is eternal, joyous, selfless, and pure, then anywhere we’re not acting in accord with our true nature is an indication of an obstacle we have. This is important: From the Mahayana Buddhist point of view, our fundamental ignorance about our true nature obscures it, so liberation is simply a matter of ending that ignorance. A profound moment of insight can cause our obscurations to fall away in an instant (as opposed to having to painstakingly remodel an inherently flawed being into something a little bit better).

- Domyo Burke, Zenstudies Podcast 183

-belief-dentistry.jpg
Whether you think you can

or you think you can't; You're right!

Most note worthy replies :

With faith comes practice;

With practice

Comes steadfast belief,

合掌 仁道 生開 - gassho, Jindo Shokai
stlah

[Nengyoku]