The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching
What are the Three Doors of Liberation?
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The Three Doors of Liberation, opened by the Three Dharma Seals, are emptiness, signlessness and aimlessness. We must realize that everything is empty of a separate self, all is interbeing, or "Interdependent Co-arising, impermanence, and nonself" in order to "dissolve false boundaries." Emptiness, which goes beyond existence and nonexistence, is called "wondrous being." Emptiness must be practiced, not just as philosophy. The Second Door of signlessness means that signs are deception and illusion, and are more about the perceiver than the object perceived. We need to look beyond the appearance of signs to their signless elements, or Tathagata. We need to learn signlessness in regard to our children, teaching no-fear, no-blame, peace and harmony. The Third door of Liberation is aimlesness, aprnihita, meaning that there is no agenda but to be, since everything we want to become, we already have. All elements of happiness are here and there is nothing to attain, since aimlessness and nirvana are one. Rather than having a means to the end of our day, we find joy in the chores of the day and in our present moment. Worry will eventually make us sick. Mindfulness allows us to help others by allowing us to be a refuge of happiness. We need only be happy in the present.