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Reflection on impurity is a gate of Dharma illumination; for [with it] we abandon the mind that is tainted by desire. 身の不浄を観じることは法明門である。それによって欲心を捨てることが出来るからである。 The kanji here mean something like contemplating the impurity of the body, oneself, or one’s place or position; this is not about considering things “out there” and holding up a yardstick to decide which of them is pure and which is tainted. It feels pretty intimate: the impurity of our own viewpoints and our own relationships with what we encounter. One definition of purity is that something is pure when it’s not mixed with anything else. From the standpoint of practice, that means meeting this moment with prajna or wisdom, not adding our own defilement or narrow ideas. Yet we can also say that real purity is going beyond purity and impurity. As long as we have ideas about what purity is, we’ve broken purity and made it impure. This is a bit like the discussion at Gate 37 about knowing being about going beyond knowing and not knowing. You may have heard of Baizhang, a famous 7th century Chinese Zen master. He said about purity, "It is not seeing the impurity of the water and speaking of the ills of the water’s impurity. If the water were pure, nothing could be said; speech instead would defile that water." To get to purity, we have to keep opening the hand and dropping our ideas and attachments. Whatever we’re describing,thinking about or talking about is intrinsically pure; it’s already whole and not separate before we come along. If the water were pure, nothing could be said. As soon as we talk about whether it’s pure or not, we’ve added something extra. Baizhang goes on to say: You must distinguish the terms of purity and impurity. “Impure things” have many names, such as greed, aversion, grasping love, etc. “Pure things” also have many names, such as enlightenment, extinction of suffering, liberation, etc. But while in the midst of the twin streams of purity and impurity, among such standards as profane and holy, amidst form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and phenomena, things of the world or things which transcend the world, the immediate mirror-like awareness should not have the slightest hair of grasping love for anything at all. When this gate refers to “reflection on impurity,” our first thought might be that this means look out for things that are impure and do our best to get rid of them, to reflect on impurity and make sure we’re not seduced into unskillful behavior or attachments. Baizhang points out that attachment to anything we decide is pure, even enlightenment or liberation, is also a problem. The true self doesn’t grasp for anything at all. He further says that if we give up clinging and think this is good, that’s a first step. We’ve taken up practice and are making some effort, but we’re still attached to nonattachment itself. If we give up nonattachment, that’s better but it’s still not enough; we’re only halfway there. We’re still clinging to an idea about non-attachment. He says this is the bondage of bodhisattvas. If give up both attachment and non-attachment and all our ideas about them, that’s the final good. Then we avoid getting stuck anywhere. We avoid being either demon or bodhisattva. Baizhang concludes, "The pure disciples of bodhisattvas are lucid and clear; whatever they say, they do not cling to nonexistence or existence. All their awareness and activity is not contained by either purity or impurity." In our tradition we have the metaphor of the mani-jewel. It stands for various things depending on text and circumstances; several are related to purity and are helpful for our purposes here. In one case it’s a water-purifying jewel, said to have been carried by Buddhist monks when they traveled. On their journeys they often had to drink water from a pond, lake or river, which might be muddy, They put the mani-jewel into the water and the mud would settle so that the water’s surface became clear. It’s not hard to see the metaphor for practice here. The mind settles down and we let go of the delusion that stirs things up and keeps us from seeing clearly and acting without adding anything extra. This is a repeating cycle: settling the mind means we can see clearly so the mind becomes more settled so we see more clearly. The mani-jewel is also metaphor for Buddha-nature in some sutras. The jewel itself is purely without color but reflects all the colors of the things around it. If we’re caught up in delusion, we think the jewel itself has all these colors. The metaphor is that buddha nature is completely manifested in this human form of body and mind, but if we’re caught up in delusion, we think awakening or buddha-nature has the same kinds of characteristics as body and mind. Actually, buddha nature has no characteristics at all because it’s pure. Buddha said that this body and mind are composed only of the five skandhas or aggregates (form, feeling, perception, formations and consciousness). The five skandhas are defiled because of the three poisonous minds (greed, anger and ignorance) and the delusions and karma that arise from them, but when the defilements of the five skandhas are eliminated, the purity of the mani-jewel pervades the entire world. Because the mani-jewel is transparent, its color changes depending on surrounding conditions. The jewel is complete awakening, or Buddha nature, but because of our three poisonous minds its beauty is hidden and not revealed. We see only the color of our delusion and we think the jewel itself is defiled. Our clinging to self means we see only the defilements of the five skandhas without seeing the purity of the jewel or buddha-nature. As Okumura Roshi has often said, five skandhas cling to five skandhas and we think that’s the self, so our pure nature or complete awakening is not revealed. When we’re free from the three poisonous minds—and this gate mentions greed specifically—then purity is revealed. This is Nirvana. If you like more technical Buddhist studies, this is the Tathãgatagarbha theory. Tathãgatagarbha is literally “the embryo of Buddha.” Even though our body/mind is defiled on the surface, our original nature or Buddha-nature is always pure and undefiled. Even though on one level our mind/body is continually influenced by many things, the true nature of our mind is always pure and clear and free from discrimination. The kanji for the second half of this gate mean that we’re prepared to abandon the heart and mind of greed. If we understand purity and impurity, we’re then able to let go of clinging—but interestingly, if we let go of clinging, we’re also then able to understand purity and impurity. Really, all this is arising together. Our old friend Baizhang says, “Just put an end to all fettering connections, and feelings of greed, hatred, craving, defilement and purity all come to an end.” Notice that he says that all delusion comes to an end, but also purity! He goes on, “Not bound by any good or evil, emptiness or existence, defilement or purity, doing or nondoing, mundane or transcendental, virtue or knowledge, is called enlightened wisdom.” This is prajna, seeing with the eyes of Buddha. “When the mind of purity and impurity is ended, it does not dwell in bondage, nor does it dwell in liberation; it has no mindfulness of doing, nondoing, bondage or liberation—then, though it is within birth and death, that mind is free.” All this seems to be saying that we shouldn’t have any kind of moral compass, that there is no pure and impure, or no good and bad, so it’s OK to run amok and do whatever we want and “be free.” Okumura Roshi has written and spoken a lot about going beyond good and bad, particularly related to Dogen’s fascicle Shoaku Makusa, or Not Doing Evil. If our tradition was telling us that we should just do whatever our cravings and aversions compelled us to do, there wouldn’t be all the ethical teachings that there are. There wouldn’t be precepts or the right speech/action/livelihood section of the eightfold path. That not what’s happening here. In fact, in the Bonmokyo, from the Brahma Net Sutra, which is where we get some important teachings about the precepts, it says, “They are the precepts of all living beings; their source is the purity of self-nature.” Thus the precepts are a description of what happens when the five skandhas give up clinging to five skandhas and buddha-nature is completely or purely manifested. They aren’t rules of morality imposed by god or man; they come from understanding the human situation in the world. Several years ago I read an article about Christian parents who were very upset that Buddhist meditation was being taught in schools. Teachers said it was a way to help kids manage emotions, learn to stay focused, and enjoy all the benefits that go with mindfulness. Those parents believed that since kids were being taught to let their thoughts come and go without judgement, they were never going to learn right from wrong. They have to be able to know which thoughts are OK and which aren’t, they argued, or they won’t have any sense of morality. I thought it unfortunate that there was no one there to explain to parents what the teaching actually was. Acceptance is not approval and compassion is not condoning. Accepting that our delusions and suffering exist and may lead to unwholesome action, and facing them squarely, is not the same as approving of them or encouraging them. Having compassion for someone whose suffering leads to unskillfulness is not the same as condoning that action. Going beyond pure and impure is seeing this one unified reality. One thing can’t be separated into good and bad, tainted and stainless, pure and defiled. In the largest possible sense, there can’t be either a pure mind or an impure mind, or anything else. Reflection on the impurity of our human condition is reflection on our tendency or potential for creating separation by introducing something extra into a unified reality which is pure precisely because it is unbroken. The gate statement refers to a mind tainted by desire, or literally the mind of greed. We saw above that being free from the three poisons enables seeing clearly, and vice versa. Buddha said that a mind tainted with defilements was unable to fully assimilate his teachings, so we have to do something to get that cycle of purification and wisdom going. To that end, he told a story called the Simile of the Cloth. Monks, suppose a cloth were stained and dirty, and a dyer dipped it in some dye or other, whether blue or yellow or red or pink, it would take the dye badly and be impure in color. And why is that? Because the cloth was not clean. So too, monks, when the mind is defiled, an unhappy destination [in a future existence] may be expected. Monks, suppose a cloth were clean and bright, and a dyer dipped it in some dye or other, whether blue or yellow or red or pink, it would take the dye well and be pure in color. And why is that? Because the cloth was clean. So too, monks, when the mind is undefiled, a happy destination [in a future existence] may be expected. This is the same teaching as the Chinese story of the important man who comes to see a Zen teacher. The teacher sees that he’s too full of himself to take in any dharma, and while talking with him, he pours the man a cup of tea. However, he keeps pouring until it overflows and the man says, “Stop! It’s too full! No more will go in!” Well, yes, points out the teacher, just like you. When five skandhas begin to let go of five skandhas, there’s room for some dharma. When the cloth is clean, it takes the dye well. When we understand purity and impurity, we’re in a position to abandon the heart and mind full of greed. As we’ve seen, purity is frequently associated with emptiness, non-separation and freedom. It’s about not being stuck—not stuck to something, not stuck in one place, not stuck in narrow, habituated thinking. This is partly why we have these iconoclastic, seemingly-crazy characters in the Zen tradition, people who are childlike, don’t conform to expectations, break the rules, or don’t act like responsible grown-ups. Society frequently says these people are tainted by madness, delusion or irresponsibility, and yet within our tradition they’re often described as pure-hearted and frequently generous, though they have very little themselves as they wander from place to place. They’re the physical embodiment of abandoning the heart and mind of greed, or the mind tainted by desire. The poet Ryokan is a well-known example. Here are two of his poems: Without desire everything is sufficient. With seeking myriad things are impoverished. Plain vegetables can soothe hunger. A patched robe is enough to cover this bent old body. Alone I hike with a deer. Cheerfully I sing with village children. The stream beneath the cliff cleanses my ears. The pine on the mountain top fits my heart. Spring wind feels rather soft. Ringing a monk’s staff I enter the eastern town. So green, willows in the garden; So restless, floating grass over the pond. My bowl is fragrant with rice of a thousand homes. My heart has abandoned splendor of ten thousand carriages. Yearning for traces of ancient buddhas Step by step I walk begging. Folks like this navigate the physical world just fine, but they also know that they live in the world of emptiness. They accept everything and everyone, not only people but all beings. They aren’t cloistered in a temple or house, but go out into the world and meet it openly without any expectations. These folks are the human version of the lotus, which is a common symbol of purity in our tradition but goes back in India to a time before Buddha. The lotus has its roots in the mud at the bottom of the pond (delusion), but it blooms in the sunlight on the surface of the water (awakening). There’s a verse we say after formal meals and at the end of ryaku fusatsu: "Abiding in this ephemeral world, like a lotus in muddy water, the mind is pure and goes beyond. Thus we bow to Buddha." While we live in the world of samsara, or impurity, the pure mind is not attached to the things of this world, so it goes beyond samsara while still being in the midst of it. 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
October 2024
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