The Seventy-eighth of 108 Gates Of Dharma Illumination

[Shokai]

78) The Seventy-eighth Gate: Right action

Right action is a gate of Dharma illumination; for [with it] there is no karma and no retribution. (Nishijima/Cross)

Right action is a gate of realizing Dharma; it leads you to the other shore. (Tanahashi)

Gate Gatha:

May we, together with all buddhas;
Practice Right Action,
That we may avoid karma and retribution.

Reflection Prompts:

1. What do you imagine A place with no karma or retribution to be?

2. Is that what we experience as enlightenment?

3. Write a new Capping Verse.

Capping Verse:

Walking on firm ground
We sink not
And leave no footprints

gassho, Shokai
stlah

[Jishin]

The gate of right action, a path of light,
A way to illumination without strife,
No karma or retribution, it's said,
With right action, our karmic debt is shed.

To realize Dharma, we walk this way,
Leading to the other shore, they say,
With each step a chance to be free,
To break the chains of causality.

May we join with all buddhas, bold and true,
Practicing right action, the whole way through,
Avoiding karma's grip, in each breath and thought,
May our path be clear, with no karma wrought.

Imagine a place where karma is not found,
No retribution or guilt to bring us down,
A realm of pure consciousness, free from pain,
With right action, our freedom we gain.

Enlightenment is the truest form of light,
A state of awakening, beyond the night,
With right action as a guide on the way,
We walk on firm ground, with no trace to stay.

Gassho, Jishin, ST, LAH

[Shokai]

[aprapti]

aprapti


sat

[Tairin]

Thank you Shokai

1. What do you imagine A place with no karma or retribution to be?

Sounds like a utopia or heaven or nirvana. I wonder though if it is possible. I might undertake Right Action with my best intent but it seems inevitable that some of my Right Actions will have negative effects somewhere.

2. Is that what we experience as enlightenment?

I don’t know….yet but it makes sense

Through Right Action
We avoid doing harm
And try to only do good


Tairin
Sat today and lah

[Tokan]

Hey all

I'm not as poetic as Jishin, geez he's a machine!

Reflection Prompts:

1. What do you imagine A place with no karma or retribution to be? - Zazen, but also when we take ourselves out into the world with the mind of zazen

2. Is that what we experience as enlightenment? - Well, Dogen did teach that practice is enlightenment, enlightenment is practice, and he's the boss!

3. Write a new Capping Verse.

Though I walk on water
the surface tension holds,
as I tread lightly.


Gassho, Tokan

satlah