|
Entrustment as a part of the state of truth, is a gate of Dharma illumination; for [with it] conduct is already managed. 除覺分是法明門、所作已辨故（除覺分是れ法明門なり、所作已に辨ずるが故に）。 We’re wrapping up a section of the text that’s describing the 37 constituent factors of bodhi, or awakening, and we’re discussing the last grouping, the seven branches of the balanced truth. I’m a bit puzzled by the use of “entrustment” here as a translation. There may be some subtlety in the Sanskrit or the Japanese of which I’m unaware, but the original Sanskrit meaning here is something like calmness, repose, transquility, serenity or settledness. The idea in the early teachings was that one clears away or lets go of distraction and mental effort and delusion in order to develop tranquility on both a physical and mental level so that we’re able to be flexible. This calmness is related to the last factor we looked at, enjoyment. When we have joy in the dharma, we relax and settle down. Buoyancy is mentioned again with this factor as it was in last one. Entrustment may an intepretation of what happens when we relax and settle. We trust the dharma and the practice and stop chasing after stuff, agitating ourselves and getting entangled with things. In any case, we refrain from anger and excitement, and we also act in the world with calmness and equanimity. It’s not just an internal state for our own pleasure. In this stage of meditation we also achieve a balance between tranquility and insight. Later on I’ll suggest that that’s not unrelated to the major theme of the Mahayana and to Uchiyama Roshi’s peace and progress: in other words, stillness and activity coming together. The second half of the gate statement says “conduct is already managed.” It means to have accomplished what was to be done (in order to get to liberation). In other words, when we’ve let go of distraction and delusion and reached a level of serenity, we’ve already done what’s necessary to reach Nirvana. For this section of the 108 gates, we’ve also been looking at Dogen’s comments on the 37 factors of bodhi. His comment on this gate says: “Elimination as a limb of the truth” is, when being in oneself, not getting involved with oneself, and when being in the outside world, not getting involved with the outside world. It is me having got it, you not having got it. It is ardently expressing ourselves and going among alien beings. So it’s “elimination” here rather than “entrustment.” Here’s how I read what he’s saying: clearing away distraction, mental effort and agitation leads to calmness and settledness, and then we’re not caught up in self-involvement to the exclusion of seeing anything or anyone else. However, we’re also not being pulled off course by others, and we encounter and work with a diverse collection of people. We appreciate differences of practice experience, life experience or worldview, and still clearly express our Buddha nature the whole time regardless of circumstances. A key point here is that calm doesn’t mean inactive. Being settled doesn’t mean being uninvolved. This is familar territory because it’s related to two main teachings we hear all the time. One is that the theme of the Mahayana is seeing one reality from two sides and expressing two sides in one action. The other is Uchiyama Roshi’s enduring question about how we balance peace and progress, or maintain our peace of mind while still carrying out our responsibilities in society or the world. This isn’t a linear process. We don’t cultivate serenity and then go do our bodhisattva work with equanimity as a means to an end. Our activity in the world is a complete expression of Buddha nature, which is calm and tranquil from the beginning. In other words, this is not a teaching about stress reduction aimed at making us feel better for a little while. It’s a description of reality. This gate isn’t telling us to let go of our rough edges and settle down so that we’ll be people we like better or that others like better. It’s likely that our own suffering will dissipate to the degree that we can let go of the delusion that’s at the root of it, but that’s not the main purpose of what this gate is about. So how do we manage stillness in the midst of activity, or not get stuck in either self-involvement or the distractions of the world? Dogen gives us some concrete examples in the Eihei Shingi, his regulations for the training temple. In one part, he says: Monks in zazen do not turn their heads to look and see who is entering or leaving. . . . Going in or out, do not look at the backs of the people doing zazen, but just lower your head and proceed. Do not walk with long strides, but advance your body together with your feet. Look at the ground about six feet straight in front of you and take half-steps. Walking with unhurried calm is exquisite, almost like standing still. Do not slide your slippers noisily so as rudely to distract the assembly. Keep your hands together in shashu inside your sleeves. Do not droop your sleeves down alongside your legs. (1) This kind of instruction is quite typical for life in the training temple: manage yourself so you don’t make trouble for others. In other words, you have to pay attention to your own body and mind. You can’t get enmeshed only in what others are doing, how they’re sitting, when they arrived or whatever. At the same time, you can’t ignore the impact you’re having on the rest of the community. If you’re flapping your slippers and waving your arms around on your way out to the bathroom, you’re creating a distraction. This line is particularly nice: Walking with unhurried calm is exquisite, almost like standing still. This is how we ought to be moving around in the temple, and particularly in the zendo. I used to get called down for running, or for walking too quickly. It’s bad form in a training temple! Zazen is a place to cultivate our ability to be both still and active. We can start by paying attention to our tendancy to judge and label what’s happening in our hearts and minds, particularly in zazen. If we decide that the point of zazen is to become still or peaceful, then any kind of noise or distraction needs to be rejected or eliminated. Well, if we’re waiting for the perfect circumstances, we’ll never practice. Anyone who’s ever been in our zendo knows it’s frequently not a quiet place. A family lives upstairs, there’s traffic and sirens outside, the refrigerator in the kitchenette is running, people are coughing. If we needed absolute silence and stillness, no one would ever practice here. Fortunately, that’s not a requirement! Okumura Roshi says: Our mind(s) often seem(s) busier than usual when we sit in a quiet place. In fact, our body and mind are busier and noisier in everyday life, but since our environment is also noisy, we don’t notice the commotion inside ourselves. When we come to a quiet place, however, we hear even the smallest noise. When we sit in the zendo, we can hear the sound of the clock. The sounds our bodies make, coming from within us, become more noticable, and it seems that our mind is noisier than usual. I think that’s a good sign of our practice. We hear this noise because our mind is beginning to calm down. Of course, we should let go of the internal noise. We should neither cling to nor try to escape from the noise. We should just be awake and let it go. Let all thoughts, feelings and daydreams simply come and go freely. Everything is moving; nothing stays forever. Just let everything be with you. (2) I want to share a few other things that Okumura Roshi has said related to zazen and see how they’re related to this gate. Then we’ll look at a some other ways we can practice with it. Okumura Roshi describes sitting sesshin and having anger come up. The person who triggered it and the incident are no longer there, but the energy of the anger is. We sit there trying to figure out what happened, why she said that nasty thing to me, what I’m going to do about it—but we can’t keep that up for 14 periods a day. Eventually we calm down and see that the anger is ourselves. It’s not something out there that belongs to the person who made us angry. The anger is inside us and we’re the ones creating it, Feelings and thoughts always come from our own consciousness. They come up in zazen; when we let go, we can let go, and that’s OK. Zazen is a unique and precious practice. In the zendo we can let go of everything. This is really liberation—not only from our daily lives but also from the karmic consciousness created by our twisted karma. In zazen we are determined not to take action based on the thoughts coming and going; therefore, we don’t create new karma. This is what it means that in zazen we are liberated from our karma. (3) Elsewhere, he says: Whether the mind is busy or calm, we just keep letting go of whatever comes up. We keep the same posture through all mental conditions without being pulled this way or that, so there is no good or bad zazen. Zazen is always zazen. Maintaining the zazen posture through all condition is a very important part of our practice. Keeping this posture is, as Dogen says in Fukanzazengi, “the Dharma-gate of peace and joy” that is itself realization, the actualization of reality in practice. Yet if we cling to favorable conditions and try to avoid difficult conditions, we create the cycle of suffering, of samsara, within our zazen practice. This cycle may begin if we seem to succeed in making our zazen pleasurable. Although such success initially makes us happy, sooner or later conditions change and our success disappears, making us miserable. If we keep struggling, our zazen becomes a cycle of “transmigration,” shifting between realms of happiness and misery, and our practice is then no longer Buddha’s practice. (4) Aha—so if we’re caught up in own experience inside our heads, and if we’re preoccupied with what’s going on “out there,” our practice is then no longer Buddha’s practice. In other words, it becomes harder to ardently express ourselves (our Buddha nature) and go among alien beings, as the gate statement says. Ardently expressing our Buddha nature includes both the small self of five skandhas and the universal self that is simply the functioning of reality. This is expressing two sides in one action. As in so many other areas of our practice lives, we get to carry two things at the same time: form and emptiness, difference and sameness, stillness and activity. Sawaki Roshi has a great expression for this. He says that zazen is to do what we cannot say and practice what we cannot think. What a great restating of seeing one reality from two sides and expressing two sides in one action! Zazen is not about getting ourselves to a condition of equanimity and then staying there. We already know that’s not the bodhisattva way. We don’t ignore or suppress our karmic circumstances; instead we see them as a manifestation of buddha nature and we use them to liberate beings. Nishiari Bokusan was a Dogen scholar in the last half of the 19th century. He says: If you stay in a place where enlightenment is finalized and going beyond is finalized, that is a dead thing. As soon as you have insight, you should remove your body from there and be engaged in the practice where each movement has essential clarity. (5) If we get to some state and think, There, I’ve got it now—even if it’s a really advanced sort of understanding—that’s a dead thing. Maybe I think this is an achievement that I own and I can enjoy and use and keep for myself, but as soon as I try to grasp it, I’ve lost it. It’s just my idea of awakening rather than the actual living, dynamic awakening. As soon as we have some insight, we need to get up and take it out into the world and engage in practice where each movement has essential clarity—where everything we do expresses buddha nature, even how we get down off our seats and walk out of the zendo to the bathroom. If we think we only need to hold both stillness and activity while we’re in a practice place, we’ve missed the mark. Nishiari Bokusan goes on to say: People today often lack this mindful practice, so they become retainers of devils. When we say that there is no “out there” in the dharmadatu, then we cannot help but return to today. There is no higher thing that is to be feared, and there is no lower thing that is to be belittled. When we seek for the self and realize that the self is originally empty and serene, we need to make today’s activities just today’s. If there’s nothing outside of this moment here and now, then we can’t help but return to today. Today is all there is; it’s the only place and time where we can act. In the midst of this moment, there’s nothing higher and lower, nothing that’s awesome and valuable that we need to chase after and nothing unimportant and meaningless that we can dismiss or belittle. Interestingly, Dogen makes a similar comment in the Eihei Koroku: When heaven has the way, it is high and clear; when the earth has the way it is substantial and at rest, when people have the way, they are calm and peaceful. (6) We’re living and practicing in the middle, in the intersection between high and low, emptiness and form, heaven and earth. When we carry both without discrimination, we’re calm and peaceful and can respond skillfully to whatever we encounter. If we can really understand that serenity is part of our original nature because we’re empty of any permanent self-nature, then we don’t need to look beyond here and now for opportunities to practice and ardently express our Buddha nature. Finally, Nishiari Bokusan says: If we thrust through everything as empty, there is no attachment. So we do not get stuck at the present moment, nor are we stuck with the view of emptiness. So, today is today and we take a steady step with our daily activities. In this way, we are not stuck with the ascent of the real, and we are not stuck with the descent of the phenomenal. This is the middle way. If we see emptiness, we don’t cling to either form or emptiness. We can walk the middle way, which is seeing one reality from two sides and expressing two sides in one action. Hongzhi was one of our Chinese ancestors, and he said: Arising and perishing, coming and going, in motion and calm, emerging and sinking; right at this time gather up the functional essence of all these many activities. Letting go and grasping are entirely up to myself. (7) It’s a great description of how we practice standing right in the middle of the intersection of tranquility and movement. If we’re stuck, there’s something we can do about it, and in fact, we’re the only ones who can do it. No one else can get us unstuck. It’s entirely up to us. That means it’s our responsibility, but it also means we don’t have to wait for anything. We can stand up in that intersection right now and ardently express our Buddha nature. Some days it might feel like we’re just too scattered to be exhibiting any kind of settled Buddha nature. Today there is just no Buddha-equanimity-balance at all! I’m making a lot of mistakes and really feeling distracted and just kind of bouncing around. My activity doesn’t feel like it’s connected to stillness in any way, and it’s hard to even believe that emptiness and awakening are anywhere in my heart or mind or experience. One of the common images in our tradition is the moon being reflected in water. Dogen says things like “Although golden waves are not calm, the moon lodges in the river.” (8) Whether or not the water is disturbed and has waves on the surface, still the moon is reflected. Of course, it’s a metaphor that says awakening and Buddha nature are still there no matter how fast we’re moving, whether that motion is smooth or choppy. Dogen wrote his own poem about this, and in more modern times it was set to music and became part of repertoire of our hymn singing practice in the Soto Zen tradition. Zazen Nigori naki kokoro no mizu ni sumu tsuki wa kokoro kara koso nami mo kudakete hikari to zo naru [Being illuminated by] the moon dwelling in the mind-water without cloudiness, Even the waves are breaking down, and becoming the light. He’s telling us that even when the wind of ignorance, delusion and distraction are creating waves on the water, even those waves aren’t separate from the moon, or awakening. Our zazen isn’t about trying to make the wind and waves stop so that we can ardently express our buddha nature. Sometimes Okumura Roshi talks about becoming one piece. When we clearly see both form and emptiness but we can go beyond form and emptiness and let go of separation, we become one piece. Our stillness in action is like that too. As soon as we’ve got separation in our hearts and minds, that gets reflected in the way we go among alien beings, as Dogen puts it. We’re more likely to get thrown around by what we encounter in the world. Okumura Roshi says: This [serenity] does not simply mean silent or without noise in the external world. When our mind is torn into two or more pieces, there are always dispute, conflict, or anxiety. Such conditions make our mind unsettled and agitated. More often, when we sit in the quiet zendo, we begin to hear the noise from inside. Our zazen of letting go of thoughts allows us to sit immovably without being pulled by those conditions. When our minds are in pieces, there’s always dispute, conflict or anxiety, so how can we expect to move through the world, meeting people with various point of view, value systems, interests and expectations? There’s external noise and there’s internal noise. There are rough edges in the world we encounter and we’ve got our own rough edges. We can cut ourselves and others on those rough edges. That’s what this gate is about: letting go of the stuff that sharpens the rough edges and makes them hard, brittle and sharp. When we eliminate rough edges, we’ve already managed our conduct, or done what’s necessary to move ourselves and all beings toward liberation from suffering. Notes: (1) Dogen, E. (1996). Dogen's pure standards for the Zen community: a translation of the Eihei shingi. United States: State University of New York Press, p. 70-71. (2) Okumura, S. (2012). Living by Vow: A Practical Introduction to Eight Essential Zen Chants and Texts. United Kingdom: Wisdom Publications, p. 233-234. (3) Okumura, S. (2018). The Mountains and Waters Sutra: A Practitioner's Guide to Dogen's "Sansuikyo". United States: Wisdom Publications, p. 42-44. (4) Okumura, S. (2010). Realizing Genjokoan: The Key to Dogen's Shobogenzo. United Kingdom: Wisdom Publications, p. 65-66. (5) All Nishiari Bokusan quotes in this article are from Dogen, E. (2011). Dogen's Genjo Koan: Three Commentaries. United States: Counterpoint Press, p. 50-51. (6) Dogen, E. (2010). Dogen's Extensive Record: A Translation of the Eihei Koroku. United States: Wisdom Publications p. 197. (7) Eihei Koroku, p 307. (8) Eihei Koroku, p. 629. 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
May 2025
|
RSS Feed