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Right belief is a gate of Dharma illumination; for [with it] the steadfast mind is not broken. 正信是法明門、不破堅牢心故。 Practitioners in North America may have some discomfort with the very first words in the very first gate: right belief. I don’t want someone telling me what to believe, or judging whether or not what I believe is right. I came to Buddhism because I heard that we’re supposed to try out the teachings for ourselves before deciding whether or not they were true. I’ll think for myself, thank you very much. My steadfast mind is my own business. “Belief” here is sometimes translated “faith,” a word which might be just as problematic. Fortunately, this gate statement is not directing us to blindly accept the doctrine of a tradition or to give up the practice of inquiring into the dharma. In fact, it’s encouraging us to do just the opposite and it’s pointing us to a specific text and teaching. In this case, faith is not accepting something that cannot be proved or experienced. It’s having enough interest and confidence in the Three Treasures—Buddha, dharma and sangha—to investigate further, begin to practice, and see what happens. After all, even though our Zen ancestors and teachers point out that buddha nature or awakening are already here, we still fall prey to the three poisons of greed, anger and ignorance. We still create suffering for ourselves because of craving and aversion. We still think we can solve our problems with a suitable application of chocolate cake or physical perfection or public acclaim. It’s a pretty big stretch to accept for a few moments that there is no independent, fixed “self” that needs these things to survive, and that real contentment lies elsewhere. If I think chocolate cake is my lifeline, letting go of it is a risk. I need at least some assurance that the risk is worth it. Interestingly, faith and awakening move in a circle. If I can muster up enough faith to give Zen practice a try, my experience bolsters my faith, which bolsters my practice, and so on. When I prime the pump and set activity in motion, practice takes over and I can fold into the universe as it does what it does, not losing my individuality but seeing through and beyond it. This is the point of a very important sixth-century Chinese text called the Dasheng qixin lun (大乘起信論), or the Treatise on Awakening Mahāyāna Faith, by Asvagosa. This text has been a major influence on East Asian philosophy and religion through the years, including the Huayuan and Chan/Zen schools as well as Tientai and Pure Land. It discusses how beginning practitioners, or those not yet committed to Mahayana Buddhism, can get a foothold and cultivate the faith necessary for becoming a bodhisattva. Early Buddhism lays out ten stages in the journey to bodhisattvahood, and the Awakening of Faith is designed to put new practitioners on that path. Embarking on it takes enough belief or faith to take the first faltering steps, but once the newcomer begins to practice, faith is gradually replaced with personal experience and knowledge. What began as a story or concept of the dharma becomes one’s own belief based on one’s own verification. Having verified the initial hypothesis, if you will, the baby bodhisattva arouses the aspiration to continue on the path to practice and liberate all beings. The Awakening of Faith opens with a lovely prayer of homage, which reads in part, “I wish to have sentient beings / Eliminate doubts and abandon wrongly-held views / And give rise to correct Mahāyāna faith, / Leaving the buddha-lineage uninterrupted.” It seems we need to consider right belief or correct faith from two perspectives: resolving our doubts about the value of teachings and practice, and seeing through our delusions about what the self is and how the universe operates. In helping us make a start on the first perspective, Asvagosa sets out four kinds of commitment to faith related to suchness plus the Three Treasures. First, he says, we have faith in the most basic reality, that of suchness or emptiness, and we take pleasure in being mindful of it. Next we are mindful of the Buddha’s many virtues; we make offerings to him and try to emulate his practice and good qualities. Our third faith is that the dharma is wholesome, and we verify that by cultivating the six perfections, or paramitas—generosity, morality, patience, diligence, concentration, and wisdom. Finally we have faith that the sangha is able to practice as a healthy and meaningful community because we spend time in the midst of it, learning about practice that accords with reality. We can see that the right belief we encounter in our gate statement has nothing to do with abandoning our personal discernment. On the contrary, according to Asvagosa, the way to reinforce faith and ease our doubts is to have our own moment by moment direct encounters with reality, Buddha, dharma and sangha. This leads us to the second perspective mentioned above: a deep understanding of the true nature of the self. “True” is important here, because it is to this that the “right” in “right belief” is pointing. 正 can be translated as right, correct, true or upright, among other meanings. Thus the statement is not setting up a competition between “right” and “wrong.” It’s distinguishing between belief based on ignorance and delusion and belief based on an understanding and experience of true reality. In brief, if we look closely at the nature of self, we will see that there is nothing there that’s fixed or independent, nothing that we can grasp and hang onto. If we think otherwise, that’s delusion. In fact, not understanding no-self is one of the most basic delusions we have, and it’s at the root of a lot of our suffering. If I think this self is permanent and unchanging, I need to make sure it’s as good as or better than all the other selves around, and this fiction of a self becomes a yardstick for measuring my life —but that makes no sense, because there really is no yardstick and nothing to measure. When I deeply see the interdependent and impermanent nature of this thing called “me,” I can loosen my attachment to it, and my need to defend it at others’ expense begins to diminish. (We’ll look more closely at the true nature of the self at Gate 20: Reflection on there being no self.) Next. let’s turn to the second part of the gate statement and the steadfast mind that is not broken. 堅牢心 is the mind that is firm and stable, like the earth. We need to understand that this is not a mind that is inflexible and closed, or which feels the need to hold its ground against all opposing opinions, but one that functions with equanimity and settledness. When new information or insights arise, the steadfast mind is happy to consider and accommodate them, adjusting its worldview toward an ever-sharpening awareness of what’s actually going on. It maintains its stability because it knows what its underlying beliefs are and from where they come. This is one of the five elements of spiritual health. (2) 不破, not broken, can also mean not disproved or negated. With our right faith established, our doubts and delusions may occasionally assail us in our practice and cause us to step back and do some discernment, but they can’t completely negate our own experience of the dharma. Once we begin to see this one unified reality, we can’t not see it. Once we know something about universal functioning from our own experience, we can’t not know it. We can’t regress to the kind of ignorance we had when we first stood on the threshold of practice, even if we may forget sometimes to practice what the Buddha taught. Right belief or correct faith makes it possible for us all to realize awakening even if we’re not scholars of Buddhism or mystical monks. In the Bendowa, Dogen cites three stories of people who were afflicted with various kinds of hindrances but manifested awakening anyway because of their right belief. In the first instance, the story goes that Buddha’s order included both a stupid old monk and a young monk who wanted to play a trick on him. The youngster led the old monk into a dark room and hit him with a ball, saying, “You have got the first effect” (stream-entry). Again he hit the old monk with a ball and said, “You have got the second effect” (being subject to returning only once more). The third time he said, “You have got the third effect” (not being subject to returning at all), and finally, with the fourth ball, he said “You have got the fourth effect” (arhatship). Because of the old monk’s belief in anuttara samyak sambodhi, unsurpassed perfect awakening, he emerged from the darkened room having actually experienced the fourth effect and attained nirvana. The joke was on the youngster! (1) In Shobogenzo Arakan, Dogen writes, "[T]hose who have faith in unsurpassable complete awakening are arhats. 'Definitely believing in this Dharma' means 'conferring this Dharma,' 'singularly transmitting this Dharma,' and 'practicing and verifying this Dharma.'" (3) The second story to which Dogen refers in the Bendowa is that of a courtesan who put on a nun’s robe as a joke. He tells the story fully in Shobogenzo Kesa Kudoku. The nun Utpalavarna recalls that in a past life she was a vain and greedy courtesan, and when she died she fell into hell as a result of her unwholesome ways. However, in that lifetime she once put on an okesa as a joke, and on the merit of that alone she eventually achieved awakening in a subsequent rebirth. "Now the Bhiksuni Utpalavarna put on kashāya simply for the sake of entertainment; still she had attained the Way within her third lifetime. Much more, having aroused the pure heart of faith for the sake of unsurpassable awakening, if we wear kashāya, {or okesa} this virtue will be completed without failure." (4) Of these first two characters, Dogen writes, “[B]oth were dull people, stupid and silly creatures. But aided by right belief, they had the means to escape their delusion.” Finally, Dogen’s third story is about a devout woman who prepared and offered food to a rather dull monk, expecting to hear a dharma teaching in return. The monk, however, could think of nothing to say and ran away. Nonetheless, she experienced awakening thanks to her belief. She found the monk and thanked him, upon which he himself was awakened. “This did not derive from her wisdom, did not derive from writings, did not depend on words, and did not depend on talk; she was aided only by her right belief.” Dogen goes on to make the point that Shakyamuni’s teachings have spread far and wide, and had awakening required that all hearers possess intelligence, wisdom and clarity, with no element of right belief, this could not have happened. “When people just practice with right belief, the clever and the stupid alike will attain the truth. Just because our country is not a nation of benevolence or wisdom and the people are dullwitted, do not think that it is impossible for us to grasp the Buddha-Dharma.” Faith is the on-ramp for new practitioners and it keeps the established ones moving forward. Sanghas need to offer ways for beginners to cultivate enough faith to establish their practice, especially since long periods of zazen and intensive sesshin can seem daunting. Okumura Roshi recalls, "Once Uchiyama Roshi criticized the way some Pure-land Buddhist teachers preached to their believers. He said that their teachings are wonderful but what they say was meaningful only to the people who already have a deep faith in Pure-land Buddhist teachings. They don’t discuss how people who have no faith in Buddhism yet can understand and attain the same faith in that teaching of Amitabha’s power of vow to save all living beings and accept them to his Pure-land. Uchiyama Roshi said it was like a lofty building from the second floor but without a stairway to get to the second floor from the first floor." (5) Right belief helps us climb and keep on climbing. Questions for reflection and discussion
Notes
(1) All stories referred to here are from Volume 1 of the Shobogenzo translated by Nishijima and Cross, p. 20. (2) The other four are a balance between or integration of individual and universe, or self and whole; a feeling of hope or optimism that one is capable of getting through tough times and an understanding of where to turn for help; an underlying sense of peace and wellbeing; and a sense of purpose in life and that life has meaning. (3) Shohaku Okumura's unpublished translation of Shobogenzo Arakan, 2017 (4) Shohaku Okumura's unpublished translation of Shobogenzo Kesa Kudoku, 2006 (5) From Sanshin's January 2003 newsletter, reproduced at Cuke.com. Further reading and listening:
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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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