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Repayment of kindness is a gate of Dharma illumination; for [with it] we do not cheat and disregard others. 報恩是法明門、不欺負他故. Now that we’ve considered recognition of kindness, we’ll consider repayment of kindness. Last week we said that on an individual level, kindness was wishing wellbeing for others. More universally, it’s about the support we receive from all beings or the universe just to live and go about our daily activities. Recognizing kindness means we have to know what kindness is in ourselves and others so that the unfolding of that kindness can come to fruition. I also introduced the idea that recognizing and acknowledging debts of kindness is a critically important aspect of Asian culture. This is repaying the debt of gratitude. In Confucan cultures, everyone has duties to everyone else: your parents, children, boss, employees, society, the state. When Buddhism arrived and encouraged people to leave home, cut ties and join the sangha, it created real conflict: who was going to take care of your responsibilities if you became a Buddhist and left home? There was also a sense that the current family, business or state of the world was a connection between past and future. People now had an obligation to take on the heritage that they received from their ancestors, take care of it, and hand it on to the next generation. Thus arose the problem of disconnection when people left home to join the sangha. How were they to repay their debts? In response, Buddhists began to emphasize teachings about filial piety. Practice was not for oneself, but to liberate all beings, including all those to whom one had responsibiilties. Becoming a monk was positioned as beneficial for one’s family and for society, and as an acceptable means of repaying the debt of gratitude. Within Buddhism, practice was also a means of repaying one’s debt to the Three Treasures. This was relevant for lay practitioners as well. While monks were concentrating on practice, laypeople were carrying out their occupations. That daily work was a means of repaying the debt to Buddha and all living beings. Last time I mentioned Suzuki Shosan’s teachings on how each occupation is Buddha’s work. Much of his written teaching is about how everyone owes a debt of gratitude to each of the four classes of society—samurai, artisans, farmers and merchants—and also how engaging in each of these occupations is Buddha’s work and repays one’s debt to Buddha. Samurai’s work is practice because they get to study death. The courage they needed to face death was the same courage needed to enter the Buddha Way. They had the opportunity to become aware of their fears about death and to see how those come about. Being fearless because you understand the nature of death is not the same as being fearless because you’re not acknowledging that death is coming, Being an artisan is Buddha’s work when it’s done with sincere attention and the understanding that it’s a complete manifestation of buddha nature. To do that, you have to have faith that buddha nature already exists, so that’s not as easy as it sounds. Merchants traditionally were a low-ranking class, even though they were necessary to society. Shosan says it’s fine to be a merchant and make a profit, and that being a merchant is practice to the degree that it’s done without greed. Buying and selling without clinging reinforces understanding, and that reinforces wholesome behavior. If you make a lot of money, good for you—as long as it’s being done ethically. Finally, he says farmers have been entrusted by the universe to feed everybody, even though it’s physically difficult work. To grow food, you have to be patient and calm and see clearly what’s happening with your plants and animals, so this is Buddha’s work as well. One way to say "please" in Japanese is お願いしますonegaishimasu, literally something like "please do me a favor." There’s some subtlety about this that implies that it’s not enough to recognize that we’ve received kindness or support and to feel grateful. We’re obligated to repay it—but we can’t possibly repay this huge debt, so it’s like the four vows in that it’s a lifelong practice. There’s one unified reality within which causes and conditions enable the arising of individuals and what they do. We’re indebted to the universe for our birth, and simply living our lives and doing our jobs to the best of our ability is a means of repayment. When things change and we get better jobs or more comfortable circumstances, that’s fine—we just do those thing with the same heart and mind. In the Shushogi, Dogen says: In our continuous day-to-day practice and moment to moment study, simply following the Buddha Way is the true way of fulfilling our filial piety . . . We should see that our debts of gratitude to all living beings are as important as [the debt to our own parents]. (3-15) It’s easy to see how we owe a debt of gratitude to our parents, even though our personal relationship may or may not be good. It’s easier to forget that we’re supported by beings and circumstances that are farther removed and that we don’t know about. These are as important to our circumstances as our parents, and need the same kind of attention. However, by simply doing our best to be wholehearted in each moment, we begin to take care of our debt to all beings. Another more concrete way that repaying the debt of gratitude shows up in our practice is the making of offerings. We put flowers, candles and food on the altar, and we also offer the merit of our good deeds to others. The bodhisattva recognizes debt of kindness to all beings and thus aspires to liberate everyone. One way is to give away the beneficial results or karmic fruits of the good things we do. We cultivate prajna, sila and samadhi, or wisdom, morality and concentration, and dedicate the merit to all living beings. Traditionally you can accumulate merit in your practice by:
During liturgy we give that merit away by reciting an eko 回向, or verse for the dedication of merit. Ekos have a structure in which they (1) state how the merit was generated, (2) name the recipient(s) of the merit, and (3) explain the hoped-for outcome of the merit transference. For example: Having chanted the Maka Hannya Haramitta Shingyo, in gratitude for receiving boundless compassionate gifts, we reverently offer the merit of our chanting to: The Great Founding Teacher, Shakyamuni Buddha; our first ancestor in Japan, Great Teacher Eihei Dogen; the Eminent Ancestor, Great Teacher Keizan Jokin; the successive ancestors who transmitted the light of Dharma, and to the eternal Three Treasures in the ten directions. We also offer it to the guardian deities of this temple and to all Dharma-protecting devas and good spirits. May the true Dharma flourish in the ten directions, may all nations dwell together in harmony, may peace and tranquility pervade this sangha, and may all beings live together joyfully. Here’s another example. May the Three Treasures illuminate our awakening in practice. Having chanted the Dai Hi Shin Darani, we dedicate this merit to the deceased monks throughout the Dharma realm; and to— [names of those who have died]; may they know rest and attain Buddhahood; to— [names of those who are ill]; may they know comfort and peace; to the founding patrons of this temple, and to sentient beings throughout the Dharma Realm. May they perfect awakening in Buddha’s Way. It may seem a little strange to us as Westerners to be offering merit to buddhas and ancestors. These folks lived hundreds or a couple of thousand years ago, and now they’re dead. They’re not here to know what we’re doing, and it feels worshipful. And yet, without them, we wouldn’t be practicing today. We wouldn’t know how to sit, and we wouldn’t have teachings. Whether or not you believe that something has been transmitted from teacher to disciple and that I’m literally 84th in line from Shakyamuni, we have instructions and guidance in the practice from somewhere. In the Shushogi, Dogen says: That we are now able to see the Buddha and hear the dharma is due to the blessings that have come to us through the practice of every one of the buddhas and ancestors. If the buddhas and ancestors had not directly transmitted the dharma, how could it have reached us today? In talking about debts of kindness, in the largest sense, there is no person in debt, no offering to be made and no debtor. None of these things can be separate from each other because they’re all part of an interconnected system. We’re offering ourselves to ourselves. Whatever we’re accumulating and giving away is already part of the functioning of the same universe that gave rise to us in the first place. Does the wave owe a debt of gratitude to the ocean? In one way yes, because the ocean gave rise to the wave. In another way no, because the ocean is just doing what its causes and conditions lead it to do. That’s the view we take when we can see past our delusions of being separate. On a moment-to-moment basis, however, we forget that we’re not separate. Repaying the debt of gratitude helps us to remember and to see more clearly. We don’t disregard our connections with other beings. How do we cheat others when we ignore our debts of kindness? To cheat is to behave dishonestly in order to gain an advantage. We’re doing something that’s not in accord with reality, and the result is that someone else has some unfavorable circumstance. The opposite of that is our old friend dana, or generosity. Okumura Roshi says: Dana is a practice that allows us to be free from self-clinging based on the three poisonous minds. This practice benefits both giver and receiver, and the gift is also free from the three poisonous minds. Thus, our activities simply become one with the circulation of the myriad dharmas that are always coming and going within the Dharma world. We simply refrain from blocking such a circulation by ceasing to create a wall between ourselves and all others. We could say that when we ignore our interconnections and our debt of kindness, we create an artificial roadblock that disrupts the flow of things within this reality. We create separation that keeps all beings from receiving what they need from us. In other words, we cheat them and put them at a disadvantage, thinking we’re gaining something or at least not losing something. Imagine the blood flow in your body between your organs. Each organ does something that benefits the body. If the heart believed that it was separate and didn’t owe anything to the other organs or to the body as a whole and it stopped the flow of blood, the other organs would be cheated of nourishment they need. The heart would also suffer because the blood wasn’t being purified or oxygenated elsewhere in the body. We can choose to ignore our interconnections, but then everybody suffers. When we’re free from greed, anger and ignorance, we’re free from selfishness. That benefits the being that’s giving and the being that’s receiving. Because we’re always engaged in a mutual exchange with all beings, that means our unselfishness benefits everyone. If we disregard others, as this gate says, we fail to recognize kindness, so there’s no way we can repay our debt. We already know we can’t repay all our debts of gratitude in this lifetime, and it’s even more impossible when we disregard them! Thus in order to repay our debts of kindness, we have to be free from greed. Maybe we usually think about greed and generosity as related to giving something to someone who needs help, someone who is less fortunate than we are. We think about giving to charity, or giving to the local dharma center. Maybe we think about sharing what we have with people we love, our family and friends. In all those cases, we’re in the superior position. We have something, and we’re giving to someone who doesn’t have whatever it is. Maybe we even give because we want to impress, gain love or even greater debt for someone else. How about giving when we’re the ones who owe something? Now we don’t have the upper hand. We don’t think of that as giving, but as obligation. If we repay a debt grudgingly, we resent what we owe and that we owe. Can we repay kindness with openheartedness? Can I freely offer my daily work to the universe simply because the universe is supporting me? Can I sit shikantaza and chant and bow and offer the merit simply because Buddha gave me this practice to do? Can I accept that I will always owe a debt of kindness to all beings, and then freely work for their liberation as a bodhisattva? If I can recognize kindness for what it is and repay my debts of kindness, then I actively participate in the reality that is the network of interdependent origination. If I choose to ignore the network, it doesn’t go away; I just become an obstruction to the way it functions. Okumura Roshi says: Each and every action we perform as a practice of the bodhisattva vows is connected to everything in the past, present and future. Therefore, even our small offerings given with sincere hearts have a connection with all beings in all the six realms, including heaven realms, human realms, and the realms of all sages such as buddhas and bodhisattvas. Each and every action, no matter how small, resonates with all beings in the past, present and future. This is what Dogen means when he says, “Whether we give or receive, we connect ourselves with all beings throughout the world.” When either giving or receiving, by letting go of egocentricity and being giving or receiving, we go beyond the separation of self and all other beings. We then actively participate in the network of interdependent origination. Here, Okumura Roshi and Dogen are reiterating that what we do connects with all beings throughout space and time. What we do resonates with all beings in the past, present and future. We need pay attention to our place in that chain. A few minutes ago I pointed out that traditionally there was the feeling that we’ve inherited what we have from the past, and we’re responsible for handing that off into the future. Thus everyone has a responsibility to maintain our lineage and tradition, whatever form that takes in our lives. We need to preserve the legacy. When it comes to practice, you don’t have to be a teacher to play a part in passing on the legacy of the dharma. The Kataññu Sutta says the debt we owe our parents is too large to be paid back in material ways. If children were to carry their parents on their backs their entire lives, or let them be kings and queens of the country, it wouldn’t be enough. Buddha says it’s only possible to repay one’s gratitude by teaching them Buddhism through spiritual qualities. He’s not saying we should teach them how to practice, or convince them to become Buddhists. He’s saying we should set a good example for parents and everyone by living in a wholesome way and demonstrating good qualities that arise from your practice: wisdom, morality, generosity, compassion, concentration, diligence, contentment, etc. If we’re going to be good examples, we need to practice ourselves to enable that. Again, doing our practice is in itself repaying our debt of kindness to Buddha and all beings. 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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