|
To work for the Dharma is a gate of Dharma illumination; for we act in conformity with the Dharma. 爲法是法明門、如法而行故. Let’s start with “to work for the dharma,” and break that down. When we hear people talking about working for the dharma, they’re usually talking about enabling practice in some way. Does it mean having a job in a dharma center or temple? Not necessarily, though it can. Anybody can work for the dharma, no matter our life circumstances, as we’ll see. The kanji that are translated here “working for the dharma” have a feeling of moving toward or carrying out a vow or aspiration for the sake of the dharma. One way to think about “working for the dharma” is that the dharma is our boss. To “work for” can mean I’m employed or supervised by someone or by an organization: I work for the university or I work for the general manager at the auto repair shop. If we work for the dharma in the sense that the dharma is our boss, what might that mean? It means we take our direction from our practice and we make decisions based on Buddha’s teachings. All of that comes from living by vow. That means we’re always walking in the direction of liberating all beings from suffering—and now we’re back to the feeling of the original kanji. We take our direction from the four bodhisattva vows, from the precepts and from the Eightfold Path. We could say that the four vows are our job description, the precepts are the employee handbook and the Eightfold Path is our set of work assignments. It’s reassuring to have a purpose. One of the components of spiritual health is that one’s life has meaning, that we have a reason to get up in the morning. Working at the direction of the dharma gives us a solid basis for decisionmaking. We don’t have to wander around without a lifeline. We can look to the three treasures and our practice. We can also take working for the dharma to mean working for the sake of the dharma. “For the sake of” means “for the wellbeing of.” We’re working for the health and wellbeing of the dharma so it doesn’t die! However, that sets up a contradiction. On one hand, spreading the dharma to those who are looking for it and enabling practice are important. We’re here practicing today because people have transmitted dharma and embodied teachings for 2500 years. Traditionally, you earned considerable merit for copying sutras, feeding monks or underwriting things at your local temple, because these things helped to keep practice and teaching alive and available to people. The Lotus Sutra, for example, actively tells the reader to propagate it. On the other hand, working for sake of the dharma is really meaningless from the point of view of the dharma as the reality of the universe. The dharma doesn’t need anything from us. It was here before Buddha, and it will be here long after we’re gone. It’s not going to die, ever! The dharma is just doing what the dharma does. It’s perfectly complete and fine just as it is, and there isn’t actually anything we can do for its own sake. Sometimes we get worried about the condition of the dharma when we think that teachings are being misinterpreted or practice isn’t being done properly. In other words, we’re concerned about the maintaining version of the dharma as one of the three treasures. The manifesting version happened in the past and we can’t do anything about that. As we’ve just said, the absolute version will always be fine. The maintaining version of the dharma can certainly be misunderstood or even lost. We have only to look at Facebook and all the greeting-card sentiments wrongly attributed to the Buddha that completely corrupt his teaching. This is the kind of thing that Mahayana practitioners are afraid will happen during a gradual degeneration of the Buddha’s teachings in a three-phase process. The age of the true dharma was the first 500 to 1000 years after Buddha’s death; followers were able to practice in accordance with his teachings and thereby attain awakening. The next 1000 year period is called age of the semblance dharma. The practice continues and things look good on the surface, but spiritual corruption has set in and true awakening doesn’t happen any more. The final period lasts ten thousand years; that’s the age of the end of the dharma, or the age of mappo. The teachings of Buddhism survive but actual practice of the dharma has died out and nobody is able to attain awakening. In Dogen’s time, everyone believed in the age of mappo, and that’s why Pure Land schools became popular. They said that trying to attain awakening by your own efforts was impossible during the age of mappo; instead you had to rely on Amida Buddha to save you. While Dōgen and Keizan said that traditional practice was still effective in attaining awakening, they didn’t entirely reject the idea of the age of mappo. Thus, although the absolute dharma doesn’t need our help and there’s no way we can really work for it, there is a longstanding feeling in our tradition that teaching and practice are in some danger of being corrupted or lost. We also have sutras asking us to propagate them and a precept about not begrudging the dharma. Yet, we don’t have a strong evangelical streak in our tradition. We’re not told to go out and convert everyone we can find to Buddhism and teach them all to sit. Nonetheless, somehow people find the Buddha’s teachings and start to practice. When we help new practitioners get a good start and we help enable the practice of our sangha, we can say that that’s working for the dharma. Of course, Dogen had a lot to say about how we support the practice of our sangha friends. He wrote about various things that had to be done in a temple: how to be the treasurer, how to cook the meals, how to be in charge of the zendo, how to take care of guests, etc. All of these things are working for the dharma in that they are enabling practice within an organized sangha. Of course, we can once again take a step back and say that the absolute sangha is the sangha of all beings, so anytime we’re moving through the world in a skillful way, we’re taking care of the sangha of all beings and working for the dharma. We’ve seen that there are several ways we can think about this English phrase “working for the dharma”—the sense in the original is “for the sake of,” but we also considered that “for” can mean working for a boss or employer. “For” can also point to what we get in exchange: I work for a salary or I work for my room and board. The boss and the salary are not things that arise in the original Japanese text of this gate; English just gives us another way to look at it. Let’s think about what working in exchange for the dharma might mean. I don’t work for a paycheck, I work for the dharma. In other words, when I do work anywhere in my life, I receive teachings. That’s not so far-fetched, is it? Even though this English phrase is not the original, this sense fits right in. It’s a restatement of the teaching that everything we encounter is a dharma gate. If I’m paying attention, all of my moment-to-moment activity is an opportunity to understand how universe works. No matter what I’m doing, I have the chance to observe what’s happening in this body and mind and to let go of ideas about small self. If I’m digging a hole in my yard or building a website, I’m receiving teachings from the universe about the nature of reality and my expectations about that reality. For example, I live on a busy street and a lot of trash ends up in my yard. It’s really annoying that I have to pick up after other people. Every time I go to cut the grass, I have to clean up the yard first, and none of this is my garbage. The reality is that unless I wall off my yard from the street, there will always be trash out there. If I’m getting annoyed about doing the work of picking it up, it’s because I have an unrealistic expectation that somehow it’s going to stop overnight just because that’s what I want. When I feel that frustration and contraction in my body, instead I can turn that around and call it caring for my property. I also have a lot of large trees that throw down big branches. I have to pick those up too before I cut the grass. That’s also a nuisance, but I don’t get annoyed at the trees. They’re just doing what trees do as part of the dynamic functioning of the universe. When I’m doing yard work, I have the opportunity to work for the dharma, to do work in exchange for receiving teachings. Now, Dogen says that all sentient and insentient beings preach the dharma, so teachings are there whether I’m receiving them or not. It’s not like I have to make a contract with the yard. To work for the dharma in this sense is simply to open my eyes and pay attention. Now we need to look at what it means to act in conformity with the dharma. There are a lot of teachings about this, and they center on the term nyoho 如法, which literally means in accord with the dharma. Traditionally, nyoho is about color, material and size as they relate to food, clothing and shelter. When we’re sewing rakusu or okesa, we pay attention to what we make them out of, what color they are and how they fit. The material should be plain and of a broken color. Food for meals taken with oryoki is the same. There should be five colors, food should be nutritious and appealing but not exotic or expensive, and we should make the right amount and not waste anything. The place in which we live should be made of appropriate materials and be the right size for what happens there. All of these things then are made according to the dharma. They are not distracting and we don’t form attachments. Of course, these teachings apply to whatever we’re doing, acquiring or making. If we are working for the dharma by enabling practice, ours or others, then the things we make and use conform to the dharma. Also, the way we act is in accord with dharma. Dogen famously taught that practice and awakening are not two. We might not be concretely enabling practice for others, but we are constantly enabling our own practice. We need to consider the ingredients we use to create that container for ourselves. Are we building our practice out of things and activities that are in accordance with the dharma? We can’t do this in an intellectual way, by constantly stopping to ask whether this or that is a good fit. We’d make ourselves crazy and never get things done. We can, little by little, put things into our lives that support our practice. Regular zazen is the place to start; then over time we can begin to consider things like how we make our living, whether our relationships with others are what we’d like them to be, or what our buying or eating habits look like. Gradually we can see our lives coming into conformance with the dharma, because we can see that everything is practice. It’s not necessary to make sudden drastic changes. We see this with newbies who come to practice and then suddenly decide they’re going to sit for three hours a day and only going to eat this or wear that or that they’re going to give away all their belongings. Of course, this doesn’t last long. For one thing, that’s all based on some idea about what practice is and what a practitioner is. For another, drastic change usually isn’t sustainable. It’s just not authentic because it doesn’t arise from understanding—it’s a performance. When we let practice seep into us over time, we can feel our lives coming into alignment with the dharma. Working for the dharma is conforming with the dharma. The most basic idea of conform is to take the form of something. We take the form of, or embody, the dharma. Two things come up for me when I think about this. One is that even when we don’t feel like we’re in touch with the dharma, we follow the guidelines of the teachings: following the precepts, carrying out zendo forms, trying to remember our vows. Some days being in accord with the dharma doesn’t come from our own insight. We can feel disconnected, troubled or confused, but fortunately, we can still rely on the teachings and practice to help us keep walking in Buddha’s way one step at a time. The other is that when we embody the dharma, our form is seamless with the universe, without obstruction or hindrance such that everything flows and there’s no separation. Working for the dharma means our actions are clear, direct manifestations of buddha-nature, with no muddiness caused by three poisons and no wacky bits sticking out and causing obstruction or tripping us up. When we hear a word like conform, we might immediately think that we have to fit ourselves into a rigid mold that’s imposed on us and follow a lot of rules. Ironically, conforming with the dharma means to be your most authentic, flexible self. Impermanence means that there can’t be a fixed set of responses to our circumstances. Our karmic conditions are all different, so forcing everyone into the same mold would be impossible. If you’re dancing to music, you’re in accord with the music. If you’re canoeing down the rapids, you’re in accord with the river. If you’re really good at using a piece of software or a power tool, you’re in accord with that. Nothing about practice or the dharma should be forced. That’s not to say that sometimes practice is not difficult or uncomfortable, but the effort shouldn’t feel like we’re forcing anything. We don’t force the body into the sitting posture, and we don’t force ourselves to stop thinking. None of that is in accord with the dharma. The reality is that this human form has limitations, and if we don’t recognize that, we’re caught in our delusion. When we’re working for the dharma we’re in accord with the dharma, not just the movie of the moment that the self is showing us in our heads. Questions for reflection and discussion:
Comments are closed.
|
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
September 2024
|
RSS Feed