A moment fully lived

Before the next thing

A journey can become a list of what comes next. The next station. The next place to eat. The next photograph. Here, let the next thing wait while the water moves.

A Japanese question about time

Dōgen, the thirteenth-century Japanese Buddhist teacher associated with the Sōtō Zen tradition, explored the relationship between existence and time in Uji, a chapter of his Shōbōgenzō. Uji is often translated as “being-time” or “existence-time”.

The introduction by Seijun Ishii in Sōtō Zen’s official library explains Dōgen’s treatment of existence and time as inseparable. This is more demanding than a slogan about living in the present. It belongs to Buddhist practice and to a text that rewards careful reading.

A small way into the question

Look at the garden. The leaf is turning, the reflection is moving, and you are noticing. Instead of imagining this moment as an empty box containing separate things, attend to what is actually happening. This is a Fumi reflection to begin with, not a translation of Dōgen’s teaching.

You do not have to settle a philosophical question to give one experience your attention. Let a cup of tea be more than the wait before a train. Let a conversation have its own pace. Let a place surprise you before you decide what it means.

Out in Japan

If you visit a Zen temple, follow its particular guidance. A visitor’s quiet pause and formal Buddhist practice are different experiences. Curiosity can begin with noticing that difference and asking respectfully.