“Dharma gates are endless. I vow to pass through them all.” Don’t worry, it’s a master key.
Zen traditions typically have some form of the Four Universal Vows or the Bodhisattva Vows. They vary a bit but basically they’re like these from the Soto Zen tradition -
Living beings are limitless;
I vow to deliver them.
Mental afflictions are inexhaustible;
I vow to cut them off .
Dharma gates are incalculable;
I vow to practice them.
The buddha way is unsurpassed;
I vow to attain it.
On the surface there’s no way to accomplish these vows yet you still whole-heartedly make the vow. The “dharma gates vow” is probably the easiest to understand and gives some insight to the application of the others. A dharma gate is an experience of practicing. It’s saying that every moment is an opportunity to practice. They’re endless. Every moment is practice.
Every moment is an opportunity to practice metta (lovingkindness for all beings), put a stop to greed, hatred and delusion when they arise within you, and work to liberate yourself so you can liberate all beings. Every single moment. It’s very Zen.
Norman Fischer’s book “The World Could Be Otherwise” is a great for getting to the root of these impossible vows in a practical way.
I enjoyed this one a good bit. 51 doors, all different. Took a little bit to get the hand correct. I usually draw left hands. I use mine as the model and draw with my right. Kinda harder to draw and model with the same hand.
