UJI Part Twenty-Two | Uji’s Unexpressed Expression

“Meditation Master Kisei of Sekken County was a Dharma descendant of Rinzai, as well as Shuzan’s direct heir. One day, he addressed his monastic community in verse, saying:

There is a time when intending has arrived, but not expressing,

There is a time when expressing has arrived, but not intending,

There is a time when both intending and expressing have arrived,

And there is a time when both intending and expressing have not arrived.

Both ‘intending’ and ‘expressing’ are ‘for the time being’: both ‘having arrived’ and ‘having not arrived’ are ‘for the time being’. Even though one may say that “the time of arriving is not yet fully here,” the time of ‘having not arrived’ is here. ‘Intending’ is the donkey; ‘expressing’ is the horse. The role of the horse is assigned to expressing; the role of the donkey is assigned to intending. Just as ‘arriving’ is not synonymous with ‘coming’, ‘having not arrived’ does not mean ‘still not having arrived’, for this is what being ‘just for the time’ is like. Arriving is hindered by ‘arrival’, but is not hindered by not having arrived. Having not arrived is hindered by ‘not having arrived’, but is not hindered by arriving. So, when it comes to intending, we look at our intention as just an intention; when it comes to expressing, we look at our expression as just an expression; when it comes to hindrances, we look at what is hindering us as just a hindrance.”

In this passage, Dōgen shares the wisdom of Meditation Master Kisei, who poetically explores the interplay between intention and expression. This teaching invites us to reflect deeply on the dynamic nature of our thoughts and actions, urging us to recognize the profound truth that both intending and expressing are inherently tied to time.

Master Kisei's verse highlights four apparently different states of being:

• There is a time when intending has arrived, but not expressing.

• There is a time when expressing has arrived, but not intending.

• There is a time when both intending and expressing have arrived.

• And there is a time when both intending and expressing have not arrived.

However, each of these states is uji, underscoring the absolute equality of our lived experiences. Dōgen teaches us that our intentions and expressions are not fixed but fluctuate constantly with time and with one another. They are complete manifestations of the present-infinite moment.

The analogy of the donkey and the horse is interesting. In this metaphor, the donkey represents intending, and the horse represents expressing. We can also think of the donkey as embodying the role of training, carrying the weight of preparation, and the horse as embodying the work of teaching, moving forward with the expression of that training. These roles remind us that our intentions and expressions are not synonymous with arrival or coming. They are fluid, constantly in motion, and their presence or absence in any given moment does not define our entire being. Nor should they be viewed as sequential prerequisites.

Dōgen further explains that "arriving is hindered by 'arrival,' but is not hindered by not having arrived. Having not arrived is hindered by 'not having arrived,' but is not hindered by arriving." This paradoxical statement invites us beyond our ordinary understanding of hindrance. Arriving completely manifests arrival; not having arrived completely manifests not having arrived. Neither needs the other condition to complete it. It encourages us to view each moment, whether marked by intention, expression, arrival, or hindrance, as a complete manifestation of our practice.

When we approach our practice with this understanding, we begin to see our intentions as just intentions and our expressions as just expressions. Hindrances become just hindrances, not something standing outside our practice but complete expressions of the moment in which they arise. This perspective shifts our focus from striving for specific outcomes to fully embracing the present moment, whatever it may bring.

Incorporating Dōgen's earlier teachings, we recognize that "to study the self is to forget the self." When we let go of our attachment to specific intentions and expressions, we open ourselves to being "activated by the myriad things." This means that our body and mind, as well as the bodies and minds of others, can drop away, allowing us to experience a profound unity with all existence.

Master Kisei's verse beautifully illustrates the dance of intention and expression, inviting us to engage with life in a fluid, dynamic manner. By embracing the interconnected nature of our thoughts and actions, we align ourselves with the flow of time and being, experiencing the boundless reality of uji.