UJI Part Thirteen | Ever-present Uji
“Should you reckon one-sidedly that time only goes by, you will not comprehend time as something that has not yet arrived. Although we can say that comprehending something also constitutes a time, there is no connection that can link the one to the other. No one with a human carcass who looks on time merely as ‘something that rolls on by me’ can have any insight into the ‘time being’ that persists just for a while, not to even mention the time when the barrier gate to realizing enlightenment is penetrated.”
Central to awakening is the imperative to move past our conventional understanding of time. If we perceive time solely as a linear progression that rolls on by, we miss its essence. This myopic view hampers our ability to fully engage with uji and prevents us from delving into the profound dharmakaya.
When we confine time to a mere passage, we confine ourselves to a superficial understanding. This viewpoint envisions time as an unceasing stream flowing past us, with the future always approaching and the past always receding. Yet, this perspective fails to acknowledge that uji is not exhausted by what has already passed; it also includes the time that has not yet arrived.
The very act of understanding something constitutes a moment in time. However, we cannot manufacture or predict the precise moment when understanding will arise. Comprehension itself is uji, but it does not arrive according to the linear sequence we imagine time to follow. This is another place where our conceptual understanding fails us. We may study, practice, and inquire, but awakening cannot be reduced to a point on a timeline that we can anticipate or control.
Likewise, when we take the conceptual view that time is something that "rolls on by," true insight into the nature of being-time remains elusive. Dōgen uses the term "human carcass" to highlight the limitations of our ordinary, karmically bound perceptions. When we are stuck in this limited view, we cannot penetrate the more profound understanding of time necessary for enlightenment.
To truly live uji, we must let go of the idea that time is a one-way street. We need to understand that time is not about what has happened or what will happen, but the vast potentiality present now. This realization opens up a vista into the infinite, where past, present, and future are interconnected in a dynamic web.
This points to a profound shift when we penetrate the barrier gate to enlightenment. This is not an intellectual understanding but a direct experience of uji. It involves recognizing that each moment, whether past, present, or future, is a complete expression of our existence.
In practice, this means embracing a more holistic view of time. We must see each moment not as a fleeting point in a linear sequence but as a complete and interconnected part of the whole. This perspective allows us to be fully present and engaged with our lives, recognizing the profound significance of this moment.
