UJI Part Seventeen | Awakening Uji
“You would do well to consider and reflect on this very carefully, for in speaking of ‘transiting’, some may think of it in reference to some place physically apart from themselves, which can be reached by turning eastward, say, or by traveling past myriad worlds over millions and millions of eons. But such people are not concentrating simply on the study of the Buddha’s Way.”
Dōgen's admonition to "consider and reflect on this very carefully" signals a significant point in this teaching, urging us to pay close attention to the profound implications of what is being pointed to. This passage invites us to reflect deeply on the nature of transiting and awakening.
Buddhist teachings sometimes describe the path across countless kalpas of diligent practice. This perspective is correct in a way, but it can lead us to mistakenly imagine awakening as something located far from our current existence, attainable only by traversing vast distances or enduring endless stretches of time. True awakening is not about reaching some other place or escaping into some ideal future.
How old is your original nature? This question prompts us to look beyond our usual story of a self moving chronologically from birth toward death. The Zen koan, "Show me your original face—the one you had before your mother was born!" further encourages this introspection, directing us toward the face that cannot be confined within the story we ordinarily tell about ourselves. Where is it now?
When we live uji, we awaken to all space and time. This awakening is not a journey to a far-off land but a shift in our perception. By directing our attention with intention outside of the reflection of our discursive thoughts, the interconnectedness of all existence comes naturally to the fore. We see that the entire cosmos is reflected within us. Our practice then becomes not about striving to reach a distant goal but about embodying the truth of our being in this present-infinite moment.
Awakening is not located at the end of some vast distance we must travel. Countless lifetimes, this lifetime, practice, awakening, and this very moment are all uji. Dōgen summons us to shift our gaze, to look deeply into our present experience, and recognize what is already manifesting here. In doing so, we live uji, experiencing the boundless reality of our original nature.
