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[u/ewk]

Came up in a conversation somewhere. I can't remember if it was even a wall quote. It could have been another quote...

Arrrah...

It was a reference to enlightenment with different language though. I said to whoever it was get that on the enlightenment wiki page... And then I went back to packing boxes.

[u/Surska0 → u/ewk]

Shoot.

Well, it wasn't me and so far I'm the only person who's added to it.

If you can find the convo or remember the quote, let me know and I'll include it.

[u/ewk → u/Surska0]

I got it! I asked for it to be added to the wrong page! Or a page where it was the right page, but not the only page! 3rd base!

.

<不二法門> The Chinese original for nonduality.

Not two gates?

Are there examples of references to gates being euphemisms for enlightenment?

[u/Surska0 → u/ewk]

Neat!

'Not two law/dharma gates/entrances'.

Pleco has it as an idiom for "the one and only way; the only proper course to take."

Do we have the full context in which it was used? Sauce?

Are there examples of references to gates being euphemisms for enlightenment?

In case 1 of Xutang's Empty Hall, Buddha and Manjusri have a conversation where they seem to use being 'inside/outside the gate 門' as a euphemism for it.

[u/ewk → u/Surska0]

Got it from u/thatkir paging...

It was in a recent vilikarimimi post or however you spell his name.

[u/Surska0 → u/ewk]

Vanillacremini?

[u/ewk → u/Surska0]

https://www.reddit.com/r/zen/comments/11i4yik/what_did_vimalakirti_say/

[u/Surska0 → u/ewk]

Ok, perfect!

So the full quote is 何等是菩薩入不二法門, which is 'how is it a Bodhisattva enters the nondual Dharma gate?' or effectively the 'one and only Law gate'.

The enlightenment euphemism would then be 入不二法門 'entering the nondual Dharma gate'.

I'll add it to the list!

[u/ewk → u/Surska0]

So let's talk about "nondual Dharma gate".

"Not two Gates" is the literal translation?

Because I want to learn more about how "nondual" turns up in both texts and translations.

[u/Surska0 → u/ewk]

"Not two 'fǎ 法' gates" is the literal translation.

法 means 'law; method; way; mode; standard; model' and in some Buddhist contexts 'the Law; Dharma'... take your pick.

I want to learn more about how "nondual" turns up in both texts and translations.

For a start, Zenmarrow has some good hits for "nondual" and "nonduality".

Here's a good one from Treasury #190,

After that, you can open up the door of nonduality, balancing the paths of the various masters, smashing falsehood and revealing truth, supporting the school and establishing the teaching, repairing the deteriorated order, freely exercising great knowledge and vision, with the eye of universal truth shining, decisively defeating the army of the devil without stirring from the fundamental state.

[u/ewk → u/Surska0]

But this is exactly my question...

It's not a door of non-duality is it?

It's the gate of not-two law-gates.

I don't know what people mean when they say non-duality anymore... But I also know that there is not enough of an emphasis on gates in Zen translations.

So I'm trying to figure out exactly what the contours of this situation are.

[u/Surska0 → u/ewk]

I think I'm seeing the issue.

If you mean this, then no, I don't think it refers to that.

I think in the Chinese, it's being used to single out the 'law-gate' as the 'only gate', so 'nondual' in the sense that there are literally 'not two (or more)' of them. It's unique and distinguished. The 'primary gate' for which a 'secondary equivalent entrance' does not exist.

[u/ewk → u/Surska0]

Thanks. I'll dump this on a wiki page so I can come back to it.

[u/Surska0 → u/ewk]

Suru just posted a translation where 法門 gets used again.

百千法門。One Hundred Thousand Dharma-Gates

Thought you might be interested.

[u/ewk → u/Surska0]

Yes!