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The four right exertions are a gate of Dharma illumination; for they eliminate all evils and realize many kinds of good. 四正懃是法明門、斷一切惡成善故。 This a very old teaching in our tradition. It goes way back into the Pali canon and carries through to Dogen and to our teachers today. Sometimes these activities are called exertions and sometimes restraints. The Maggavibhanga Sutta says about the four right exertions: There is the case where a monk generates desire, endeavors, activates persistence, upholds and exerts his intent for: - the sake of the non-arising of evil, unskillful qualities that have not yet arisen. - the sake of the abandonment of evil, unskillful qualities that have arisen. - the sake of the arising of skillful qualities that have not yet arisen. - the maintenance, non-confusion, increase, plenitude, development, and culmination of skillful qualities that have arisen. Or, in perhaps plainer language: 1) to prevent bad that has not yet occurred, 2) to cause bad that has already occurred to be extinguished, 3) to bring about good that has not yet occurred, and 4) to promote the good that’s already here We can see why these are both exertions and restraits. We’re actively promoting wholesomeness and restraining unwholesomeness, and we get involved both before things arise and after they’ve appeared. We prevent bad from happening and try to get rid of it when it arises. We encourage good to happen and try to keep it around when it does. What is good and bad (wholesome and unwholesome) in the Buddhist tradition? Causing suffering to self or others is unwholesome. Reducing suffering and bringing joy to self and others is wholesome. The challenge is that the complete working of this kind of cause and effect isn’t clear. We can’t tell from looking just at this one action whether ultimlately good will come about or not. We have to look also at all other related actions and consequences. Thus we just vow to do our best in this moment, and if it all goes wrong, we make repentence and vow to do better next time. If it goes well, we don’t attach to that outcome as a validation of our wisdom and compassion; we just offer that up to the universe and move on. Buddha says doing the four exertions is both possible and is conducive to benefit and pleasure. Working with the four exertions is associated with Right Effort on the Eightfold Path. The important thing about Right Effort is to pay attention to what kind of energy that effort is generating and whether it’s wholesome or not. To understand this, we have to take a bit of a detour to look at early teachings about the Eightfold Path. The Eighfold Path has three divisions; wisdom, ethics, and concentration. Right Effort falls into the section about concentration, along with Right Mindfulness and Right Samadhi (or meditation or concentration). Right Effort provides the energy and Right Mindfulness provides the stable awareness for Right Concentration. Effort and mindfulness support concentration. However, that energy can go in any direction. It has to work together with Right View and Right Intention so that it’s directed toward wholesomeness and awakening. Energy can lead either to desire, aggression, violence, and ambition on the one hand, or generosity, self-discipline, kindness, concentration, and understanding on the other. If we’re not careful about where we put that energy, we can get caught up in unwholesome mental states and take actions that create harmful karma and perpetuate suffering rather than actions that move ourselves and others toward awakening. Effort arises again and again as a theme in Buddha’s teachings because each of us has to do our own practice. Buddha and our teachers can point out the path, but it’s up to us to actually put those teachings into practice. We have to start with investigating how our our own three poisons, delusions and hindrances arise, and make effort to see through them and release ourselves from making mistakes and creating suffering because of our ignorance. Preventing the arising of unwholesome states The point of this in the early teachings is to get rid of things that cause distraction in our sitting practice. Specifically, we’re talking here about the five hindrances: sensual desire, ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and worry, and doubt. The first two hindrances, sensual desire and ill will, are said to be the strongest of the set because they represent greed and aversion. The other three hindrances are less toxic but still problematic because they’re offshoots of delusion, usually mixed up with other defilements. Sensual desire is interpreted in two ways. Sometimes it’s craving for things coming in through the senses that get labeled as pleasant, and sometimes it’s just general craving for whatever—not only good sensations but power, money, nice belongings, social status. Overall, it’s concerned with craving, attachment, and wanting stuff. The second hindrance, ill will, is about the other side of craving: aversion. Craving and aversion are the same because they both mean we want things to be different than they are. I want what I don’t have or I don’t want what’s here. Ill-will includes hatred, anger, resentment, and every kind of pushing away. It could be directed towards other people, ourselves, objects, or situations. The third hindrance, dullness and drowsiness, feels like the opposite of energy and exertion: inertia, heaviness of mind, and the desire just to sleep. The fourth hindrance, restlessness and worry, is the other side of dullness. This is the unquiet mind, full of agitation, excitement, and jumping quickly from thought to thought. Maybe we’re worried and remorseful about past mistakes and anxious about their possible painful consequences. The fifth hindrance, doubt, is about indecisiveness. Rather than committing to practice and investigating the self and the rest of reality, we can’t commit because we’ve got lingering doubts about this whole thing. These five hindrances aren’t coming from somewhere else. Because of our karmic conditions, we have these tendencies, and when a cause appears, hindrances arise. These are things we’re generating ourselves. The problem isn’t objects of our senses; that’s not where delusion lies. The problem is what we do with that sensory information. We create an immediate overall impression of that object as pleasant, unpleasant or neutral, and cling to that conclusion—and then start exploring details of the object or our perception of the object. Because of greed, we can become fascinated with something we think is agreeable. Because of aversion, we can be repulsed by something we find disagreeable. All that just perpetuates and multiplies the delusion. Instead, can we just be aware of the object and the process that’s happening without being hijacked and writing a story? Abandoning unwholesome states once arisen Despite our best intentions, we may still notice that something unwholesome has arrived and we need to make it disappear. Buddha had remedies for each of the five hindrances and for the hindrances as a whole. One is to replace the unwholesome thought with the opposite wholesome one. If we’re struggling with grasping and desire, we consider impermanence and the instablity of whatever we’re clinging to. For ill will, we consider loving kindness and the wish that all beings be well and happy. For dullness and drowsiness, some kinhin or even brisk walking might help, or simply renewing our vows or aspiration. For restlessness and worry, we can calm down by mindfulness of breathing. For doubt, investigate the teachings and practice, ask questions, and engage in study. In general, it’s said that there are three ways to work with these hindrances that are clamoring for our attention: consider that what’s arising is unwholecome and will have unfortunate consequences; redirect your attention to the opposite wholesome condition; and accept and acknowledge it, look at it head-on and investigate where it’s coming from and how it’s arising. These five hindrances make up the unwholesome states we’re told to prevent in the first of the four exertions and to abandon in the second. Encouraging wholesome states to arise Our practice is full of teachings and activities designed to help make this possible, everything from the Eightfold Path to the four foundations of mindfulness. Suffice it to say that applying ourselves to our practice is not different than establishing and maintaining wholesome conditions. Dogen says that practice and enlightenment are not two, but in these early teachings, this is a linear path. Mindfulness leads to investigation of phenomena, which leads to cultivation of energy, and so on. Our more immediate ancestors would say that these factors arise together. Maintaining wholesome states once they arise There’s another very old text with something to say about restraining unwholesomeness and encouraging wholesomeness, and that’s the Dhammapada, which may be more familiar than the Mahavibhanga Sutta. The Dhammapada is a collection of short poems, considered to be one of the oldest written scriptures, which means it existed before Buddhism was divided into sects in India. It contains a famous poem called “The Verse of the Teaching of All Seven Buddhas.” Not doing of any evil Doing of all good deeds Purification of one’s own mind This is the teaching of all buddhas. Our tradition says there were seven buddhas before Shakyamuni, so this is what all of buddhas have taught. The first two lines are pretty clear: don’t do bad stuff and only do good stuff. The third line about purification of one’s own mind has different interpretations, but one of the traditional ones is going beyond good and bad. That means not clinging to unwholesomeness but also not clinging to wholesomeness. This verse contains two levels of teaching: we should do good and not do evil, and we should go beyond good and evil. In early Buddhism, the first part about good and evil was for lay people and the one about going beyond good and evil was only for monks. Only monks could practice and go beyond good and evil, and they shouldn’t be involved with the world. Laypeople stayed within the cycle of transmigration, and the only way out was to become a monk. The role of the laity was to give money or other things to support the monks while they worked for Nirvana. In the Mahayana tradition this doesn’t work, because it doesn’t make a distinction between monks and laity when it comes to awakening. Thus somehow these two points of view had to be integrated: how to do good and not do bad and also go beyond good and bad. The four exertions are telling us to restrain unwholesomeness and encourage wholesomeness, and of course we should do that, but as soon as we create a yardstick to measure good and bad, we form attachment to our good deeds. If we ignore the difference between good and bad, that’s also a problem. At Gate 55 we saw that Nagarjuna said when we attach only to the absolute perspective, that’s the sickness of emptiness. We still have to live in world and what we do makes a difference. How can we just do good without clinging to our good deeds, trying not to do evil, and not judging ourselves or others? There’s both an internal and an external aspect to this gate. The oldest meaning of the four exertions is that in our personal practice, we try to understand the nature of our delusion and suffering so that we can prevent them from arising or liberate ourselves from them when they do arise. Likewise, we try to understand the nature of wisdom and compassion so we can encourage or cultivate them in our minds and hearts and perpetuate them when they do arise. However, we can also aspire to do these things in the outer world of the community. We can try to head off suffering when possible and help those who are already facing difficulty. We can also try to make good things happen in the world and keep wholesome activities going once they’ve started. This is clearly a case of, as Okumura Roshi has said, needing both to take a step back to study the self and a step forward to help others. In Living by Vow, he writes, We may practice zazen to pacify or calm ourselves, but that is not enough. We have to engage in the activity of our day-to-day lives. One of places we look for guidance about our actions is precepts, and indeed the Threefold Pure Precepts have something to say. When we do formal meals, one part of our chant before we eat is: The first portion is to end all evil the second is to cultivate every good the third is to free all beings May everyone realize the Buddha’s Way. Then we eat three bites from each bowl, and then eat as we please. This chant is making a reference to the threefold pure precepts:
Now we can see what Dogen had to say about all of this. If you come to our monthly ryaku fusatsu ceremony where we renew our aspiration to follow the precepts, you hear me read the Kyojukaimon. It’s a text containing Dogen’s teaching that was written down by his student Ejo. There’s a statement about each of the three pure precepts: The precept of embracing moral codes: This is the abode of the laws and codes of all buddhas. This is the root source of the laws and codes of all buddhas. Sometimes this is known as the precept of avoiding all evil acts. It’s same as keeping bad from arising and stopping it once it’s arrived. By abiding by the precepts, we avoid doing unwholesome things. Dogen says this precept is the origin of all of our precepts as well as the forms and rituals we use, so it’s not really a regulation or a rule but something that points to the reality of all beings because of interdependent origination. We’re already completely connected with everything else, so it’s not possible to do something unwholesome and receive only a benefit ourselves while other beings suffer. If we really understand that, we don’t feel moved to do bad things in the first place. This is really at the heart of our practice—it’s what it means to be a bodhisattva, it’s what it means to understand the four noble truths, and it’s what drives our practice and determines how we move through the world. Not doing evil is the root or origin of the Buddha’s laws and codes, and also the abode or manifestation of the Buddha’s laws and codes. The precept of embracing beneficial actions: This is the dharma of Unsurpassable True Awakening (Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi). This is the way in which one should practice by oneself and the way in which one should lead others. This is the same as encouraging and sustaining good. Dogen says that doing wholesome things is itself awakening. If we’re clear about the true nature of reality and the three marks of existence (interdependence, impermanence and no-self), then what arises naturally is wholesomeness rather than unwholesomeness. Until we can see with the eyes of Buddha, we have precepts, guidelines and teachings that help us stay on track. The precept of embracing all living beings: One should transcend distinction between ordinary beings and sages, and save both oneself and others. Embracing all living beings is another reference to interconnectedness, ands doing good or doing harm affects the entire network of all beings, so making effort for good and restraining bad is working for the universe as a whole. It would seem that all of this is pretty self-evident. Do good, don’t do bad, and positive things will result. However, as we’ve seen, it’s not that simple. Dogen says we also have to let go of even our desire to step through this gate of the four exertions. In his forthcoming book on the precepts, Okumura Roshi says: Any good or bad deed has its own result, and that’s not the end. There’s an endless circle within good and bad, and in order to reach nirvana we should be free from the motivation of doing good in order to get a good result, or trying not to do bad things in order to avoid going into hell. On that basis, we are endlessly transmigrating in a circular experience. Dogen says that if we cling to emptiness as an excuse to do something bad because there is no distinction between good and evil, that kind of teaching is the suggestion of demons. Not doing evil isn’t really a precept or a man-made rule, it’s awakening itself—a complete manifestation of reality. Not only that, the four exertions aren’t something we do by ourselves. They happen because we’re living together with all beings throughout space and time. Dogen also gave a little talk on this that was recorded in the Eihei Koroku: Don’t you see that the World-Honored One said, “You bhiksus already abide in the precepts. Restrain the five facilties and do not allow yourselves to indulge and enter into the five desires. For example, this is like a person who tends an ex, holding a staff and keeping watch so that it never violates the seedlings in others’ fields. If we indulge the five senses, then the five desires will simply grow beyond all bounds, and go beyond all control. Therefore, the descendants of buddha ancestors should not direct themselves on the evil paths of sounds and colors or fame and profit. Not directing oneself toward sounds and colors means that you should immediately discard fame and profit, and make the five faculties sharp and clear. To be sharp and clear means that once we hear that we should discard fame and profit and should discard self-centeredness, we immediately discard them. Such practitioners can be said to enact great functioning and have superior qualities. People who cannot yet be like this are called inferior vessels. This being the case, how can we tend an ox? How is the staff? How are the seedlings? How is our watching? And how is the master of the seedlings? Worldly people certainly do not know this; it is only correctly transmitted by buddha ancestors. [Talk #383, p. 343] So here we are, back again at managing the five hindrances and making right effort to watch where our energy is going the way a person tends an ox. If we let the ox run wild, it makes mistakes and tears up the neighbor’s field. If we pay attention, the ox is fine, the seedlings are fine, the neighbor is fine and we’re fine. How can we tend an ox? How is the staff? How are the seedlings? How is our watching? And how is the master of the seedlings? When Dogen says Worldly people certainly do not know this; it is only correctly transmitted by buddha ancestors, he’s telling us that the only way to take care of wholesome and unwholesome is to practice. Questions for reflection and discussion:
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About the text The Ippyakuhachi Homyomon, or 108 Gates of Dharma Illumination, appears as the 11th fascicle of the 12 fascicle version of Dogen Zenji’s Shobogenzo. Dogen didn't compile the list himself; it's mostly a long quote from another text called the Sutra of Collected Past Deeds of the Buddha. Dogen wrote a final paragraph recommending that we investigate these gates thoroughly. Hoko has been talking about the gates one by one since 2016. She provides material here that can be used by weekly dharma discussion groups as well as for individual study. The 108 Gates of Dharma Illumination
[1] Right belief [2] Pure mind [3] Delight [4] Love and cheerfulness The three forms of behavior [5] Right conduct of the actions of the body [6] Pure conduct of the actions of the mouth [7] Pure conduct of the actions of the mind The six kinds of mindfulness [8] Mindfulness of Buddha [9] Mindfulness of Dharma [10] Mindfulness of Sangha [11] Mindfulness of generosity [12] Mindfulness of precepts [13] Mindfulness of the heavens The four Brahmaviharas [14] Benevolence [15] Compassion [16] Joy [17] Abandonment The four dharma seals [18] Reflection on inconstancy [19] Reflection on suffering [20] Reflection on there being no self [21] Reflection on stillness [22] Repentance [23] Humility [24] Veracity [25] Truth [26] Dharma conduct [27] The Three Devotions [28] Recognition of kindness [29] Repayment of kindness [30] No self-deception [31] To work for living beings [32] To work for the Dharma [33] Awareness of time [34] Inhibition of self-conceit [35] The nonarising of ill-will [36] Being without hindrances [37] Belief and understanding [38] Reflection on impurity [39] Not to quarrel [40] Not being foolish [41] Enjoyment of the meaning of the Dharma [42] Love of Dharma illumination [43] Pursuit of abundant knowledge [44] Right means [45] Knowledge of names and forms [46] The view to expiate causes [47] The mind without enmity and intimacy [48] Hidden expedient means [49] Equality of all elements [50] The sense organs [51] Realization of nonappearance The elements of bodhi: The four abodes of mindfulness [52] The body as an abode of mindfulness [53] Feeling as an abode of mindfulness [54] Mind as an abode of mindfulness [55] The Dharma as an abode of mindfulness [56] The four right exertions [57] The four bases of mystical power The five faculties [58] The faculty of belief [59] The faculty of effort [60] The faculty of mindfulness [61] The faculty of balance [62] The faculty of wisdom The five powers [63] The power of belief [64] The power of effort [65] The power of mindfulness [66] The power of balance [67] The power of wisdom [68] Mindfulness, as a part of the state of truth [69] Examination of Dharma, as a part of the state of truth [70] Effort, as a part of the state of truth [71] Enjoyment, as a part of the state of truth [72] Entrustment as a part of the state of truth [73] The balanced state, as a part of the state of truth [74] Abandonment, as a part of the state of truth The Eightfold Path [75] Right view [76] Right discrimination [77] Right speech [78] Right action [79] Right livelihood [80] Right practice [81] Right mindfulness [82] Right balanced state [83] The bodhi-mind [84] Reliance [85] Right belief [86] Development The six paramitas [87] The dāna pāramitā [88] The precepts pāramitā [89] The forbearance pāramitā. [90] The diligence pāramitā [91] The dhyāna pāramitā [92] The wisdom pāramitā [93] Expedient means [94] The four elements of sociability [95] To teach and guide living beings [96] Acceptance of the right Dharma [97] Accretion of happiness [98] The practice of the balanced state of dhyāna [99] Stillness [100] The wisdom view [101] Entry into the state of unrestricted speech [102] Entry into all conduct [103] Accomplishment of the state of dhāraṇī [104] Attainment of the state of unrestricted speech [105] Endurance of obedient following [106] Attainment of realization of the Dharma of nonappearance [107] The state beyond regressing and straying [108] The wisdom that leads us from one state to another state and, somehow, one more: [109] The state in which water is sprinkled on the head Archives
February 2025
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