Gate Twenty Six
Read the following, place it in your heart and sleep on it. Then, tomorrow, live it until evening when you can leave a brief comment on what you may have received during the process.
Dharma conduct is a gate of Dharma illumination; for [with it] we follow the conduct that is the Dharma.
By “Dharma Gate”, we mean a teaching or practice we can study to gain insights into the deepening our practice. It's a way to integrate our understanding of approaching reality.
Koan: "When Hojo's troops attacked Kusunoki Masahige's Chihaya fortress, Many warriors of the Hojo clan died. It's said they were praised by their friends for meeting "glorious deaths "on the battlefield" Someone composed a poem about the event:
A man lays down his life in vain for the sake of fame.
Why doesn't he give up clinging to life for the sake of Dharma?"
- The Zen Teaching Of Homeless Kodo, 16pg47
Most note worthy replies : Living in accord with the precepts
doesn’t lead us to the Dharma,
it is the Dharma living itself.
What does this mean?
If Dharma is all, then
Dharma conduct is all we do,
Free of constraints. But then
What are our vows,
Our Precepts, and
Our practice but Dharma conduct
Are all these not the
Elements of drawing breath that
Bring realization.
If I wish To find Dharma out of dharma then
My practice of Dharma conduct is the lantern that
Shows me where the gate is
合掌
stlah
I
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