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Humility is a gate of Dharma illumination; for [with it] eternal malevolence vanishes. 羞恥是法明門、外惡滅故. As usual, let’s look first at humility and then at the relationship with eternal malevolence. To understand humility, we need to understand the teachings about no-self. Emptiness in our tradition means that all conditioned things are empty of a permanent self-nature. That’s because everything comes into being because of causes and conditions. There has to be a cause for something to arise and the conditions have to be favorable. If we try to plant a seed on a rock, it won’t grow; the cause is there, but the conditions are wrong. If we put a container of fertile soil in the sunshine and water it but it doesn’t contain any seeds, then again, nothing will grow. The conditions are good, but there’s no cause. Causes and conditions are changing all the time, so the things that arise from causes and conditions are also changing all the time. This is the teaching of impermanence. However, interconnection is important here too, because nothing arises from nothing. Nothing can exist on its own by itself; everything is connected to other things and dependent on other things. All of this is certainly true of the self. The self is changing all the time. We aren’t the same people we used to be before we learned the things we know now, before our bodies grew and aged, or before we had our various experiences and memories. The self is also dependent on causes and conditions, It’s said to be made up of a heap of aggregates or skandhas: form, feeling, perception, formation and consciousness. These things come together for some period of time and we can provisionally point to something called the self, but there’s no permanent element there that will always be “me.” The Christian tradition says humility means our worthlessness or imperfection before God, and the need to admit our entire dependence on Him. The Zen teaching about humility is a little different. As we saw last week, our practice will always be incomplete because of the nature of bodhisattva vows. This is why we also need repentence, the recognition that we’ll never reach the end of our practice. However, this isn’t worthlessness, and we still make effort. Dependence, however, is important. Our tradition includes the teachings of dependent arising, that we are indeed dependent on the universe for everything and can’t exist alone. Humility is about putting aside self-importance and arrogance in favor of modesty and the ability to look outward to others. It’s important to know what humility is not. In Soto Zen, humility is not the same as humiliation or low self esteem. If we really feel unworthy or have self-esteem issues, those are ideas about the self too that need to be examined. The idea that we’re special in any way—especially slow, especially deluded, or especially anything— goes against the grain of our practice. Teachings about not being special don’t mean we aren’t distinct from each other and don’t have individual qualities. Everyone has them, and everyone is better or worse at something. However, to decide that I’m especially unworthy is an idea about the self which is just as deluded as arrogance and pride. When I was training in Japan and was expected to do my job just as well as everyone else, I took it as encouragement. I wasn’t special because I was a Western female who had just arrived there. The message was that my superiors saw no reason why I didn’t have the ability to do things properly, and I got to give up my idea of self. Humility is not about being a martyr. Ideas like “I’m a good or strong person because I deny myself the things I need” are ego trips because martyrdom is based on an idea of self. Humility is not about being servile. Maybe you’ve encountered a practitioner who is overly obsequious with Zen teachers. Respect is fine, but ostentatious displays are just ego trips. Humility is not false modesty. The person who constantly refers to herself and her activities as humble, unworthy or undeserving is pointing to her own humility so that other people will be impressed. If you have to point out your humility so others will notice, you’ve missed the mark somewhere. There’s nothing made-up or put-on about genuine humility. It arises genuinely and sincerely when we understand the nature of self. If we’re trying to demonstrate how humble we are, we’ve certainly not put aside our self-importance. In real humility, we give up ideas about self and ideas about humility; otherwise, we become conceited about not being conceited! Modest deportment happens naturally. It’s a reflection of our understanding about our relationship to the universe and all beings. It’s not necessary to put ourselves forward in ways that shore up our ego. There are several places in our tradition to which we can turn to help us work with humility. There’s the precept about not praising self and blaming others; on a day to day basis we can see why this is important in maintaining good relationships. What we do affects others, so reducing egocentrism makes it easier to get along. Humility fosters harmony. We can also see how this precept helps our practice of seeing beyond the demands of the small self. However, there’s also the absolute version of it, and that’s about non-separation: Buddhas and ancestors attain realization with the whole sky and the great earth. When the great body is manifested, there is no inside and outside in the sky. When the dharma body is manifested, there is no inch of ground on the earth. -- Dogen Zenji's Kyōjukaimon Within the non-discriminating dharma, not distinguishing oneself from others is called the precept of not praising oneself nor slandering others. -- Bodhidharma’s Comments on the One-Mind Precepts If I understand that you and I are not separate, then I have no need to build myself up at your expense; the need for jealousy, arrogance and pride doesn’t arise. As soon as there’s something I can get from you, I’ve created separation, and that gap is the space for craving and aversion to come up. Pride is a big obstacle to humility. This isn't the feeling of being proud of your kids when they get good grades, or pleased when you’ve achieved something for which you’ve been working hard. It’s the pride that goes with an outsized ego, when all the space is taken up with self and ego so that there’s no room for anything or anyone else, even dharma teachings. Interestingly, the near companion of pride is usually insecurity. Puffing myself up is my attempt to keep you (or myself) from seeing how unworthy or incapable I really am. It’s also connected with anger and ill-will because I feel threatened. So now we should take a look at this phrase “eternal malevolence vanishes.” Malevolence is bearing ill will, but this is about more than just wishing ill on someone. There are two important sets of kanji here: 滅ぼす (horobosu), which means to overthrow, destroy, wreck or ruin, and 悪事 (akuji), doing an evil deed. Cultivating humility overthrows our impulse to perpetuate suffering by engaging in evil acts. Aku here immediately makes me think of Shobogenzo Shoaku Makusa, or Not Doing Evil; shoaku contains the same aku. Dogen says that when we avoid evil actions based on our understanding of reality, that’s awakening. It’s not something we’re doing for ourselves and it’s not something we’re doing on our own. However, because of beginningless greed, anger and ignorance, the reality of our Buddha nature gets covered up by our unwholesome actions. Another way to think about this gate statement, then, is that deeply understanding the nature of self means that arrogance, pride and anger don’t arise, and that allows awakening or buddhanature to manifest. We don’t harbor ill will towards others or feel compelled to commit unwholesome actions against them, and that circumstance is itself nirvana. In the Dhammapada, Buddha says we need to give up anger and pride; they’re based on craving and aversion, which are the basis of suffering. We gain some liberation when we see these things and let go of them. Understanding no-self, emptiness and non-separation will naturally dissolve pride, which we need to do in order to manifest awakening, and in manifesting awakening we naturally dissolve pride. Humility, like all virtues, is both the cause and result of practice, and Dogen says practice and awakening are not two. In place of pride we can cultivate gentleness, modesty, patience, tolerance, and love. We just have to be careful not to fall into thinking that by cultivating humility we’re especially good practitioners, or we’re right back where we started. We have to keep letting go of our desire to show off; otherwise we set up a hindrance with our own practice. So while we’re engaged in the long term practice of cultivating wisdom, what can we watch out for on a day to day basis? We can watch our motivation for our actions. Habituated thinking is strong. We’ve developed these habits because they seem to work in protecting the self. We can ask ourselves, Am I doing this in order to impress people or because I want to show someone else up? Instead, can I show genuine interest and sympathetic joy for others without trying to create a particular self-image? We can also continue to be as honest as possible with ourselves about our own strengths and weaknesses. There are things we can do well and things that others can do better. This human body is frail and there are things we could do more easily when we were younger, or, there are things we will be better able to do when we’re more mature. We can continue to practice putting aside the small self, doing forms as instructed or following the schedule rather than doing as we want. Every time we’re tempted to say to ourselves, everyone else is doing this or that, but it doesn’t apply to me, we can ask, are you sure? What’s the yardstick that determines that? We can look beyond our immediate goals that may be tied up with self-centeredness. When caught up in need for praise, it’s hard to see what’s really happening and easy to miss what others are experiencing. We may miss opportunities to do something else that's more effective. In addition to moving away from the individual self, how about moving away from anthropocentrism? Reality includes more than human beings; we’re not the only valuable element, but we can forget that. Not only can we do harm that way by disregarding the lives of other beings, but we’re ignoring a large part of universe. All sentient and insentient beings are preaching the dharma. We can learn thusness from everything we encounter. There is no time or place where thusness is not available to us. Uchiyana Roshi says we can learn about humility from flowers: The flowers blooming in the field do not feel with pride that they should win first prize in a beauty contest; they do not feel that they are in competition with other flowers. The violet does not develop an inferiority complex, thinking “The roses are big and beautiful, but a little violet like me is useless. It doesn’t say with greed and impatience, “I’ve got to become more efficient." It simply manifests its own life force with all its might. The point is that looking outward can help us cultivate humility by reminding us that there’s something beyond our ideas. We don’t know it all, and simple things around us can show us the dharma if we pay attention. How we handle everyday objects is a lesson in humility. When doing formal meals, we handle oryoki with care. When ringing a bell, handling a sutra book, or caring for a zafu, we do it all with attention. We can do that with anything we’re using. The arrogant point of view is that this thing is here to serve me and it only has value as long as it fulfills that function. If not, I throw it out or disregard it. It doesn’t matter how I treat it, because it’s subservient to me. The humble point of view is that we’re partnering to achieve a task, and there’s no reason not to show this thing some respect. Dogen says we should put things in the right place, high or low. It helps us to see the wider world. We have to realize that we are in a dance with the rest of the universe, turning things and being turned by them. We’re functioning together with everything else. Humility says my small self is no more or less important than yours. You can’t function without me, but I also can’t function without you There is a famous section of Shobogenzo Zenki: Life is just like sailing in a boat. You raise the sails and you steer. Although you maneuver the sail and the pole, the boat carries you, and without the boat you couldn’t sail. But you sail the boat, and your sailing makes the boat what it is. Investigate a moment such as this. At just such a moment, there is nothing but the world of the boat. We look at a boat and think a human being made it to serve a purpose for people and the world of people is the only important thing—or even that the world of people is the only world there is. Dōgen says the boat has a world too, not to mention the universe of completely interconnected functioning. Humility lets us see that our point of view isn’t the only one or necessarily the most effective one for preventing unwholesome action. In that moment, we can put aside self-importance without negating ourselves. We can accept that our practice will always be incomplete. We can accept that we are completely dependent on causes and conditions. We can accept that we are supported by the entire universe and don’t exist on our own, and we do that without injuring our self-esteem in any way. We can have humility and still be mentally and spiritually healthy. 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
December 2024
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