Zen: Time is not real...so wash your own rice

Jay Forrest (jayforrest.org, June 2, 2021); Amber Larson, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

The LA basin with downtown on the left, beach on the right (view from Griffith Observatory)

.

Time is Not Real

“Time is not separate from you, and as you are present, time does not go away.”

– Dogen

I thought I had time, didn't know I'd get hung up.

Time has no objective reality. There is only movement in sequence. Time requires a past and a future, both of which exist only in the mind and memory.

The present moment is the only true reality. It is always NOW and never not now. Therefore, only now exists.

When we wallow in past regrets or are paralyzed with a anxiety about the future [we imagine], remember that time is not real. What is time then? Time is the measure of sequence, of the speed [or delay] between two events.

This measurement is possible only because of two things -- memory, which remembers past events, and consciousness, which observes present events.

Wash Your Own Rice

“Do not just leave washing the rice or preparing the vegetables to others, but use your own hands, your own eyes, your own sincerity. Do not fragment your attention but see what each moment calls for.”

– Dogen

Soto Zen Founder Dogen Zenji

If we look for them, there are many opportunities to practice mindfulness. We just have to look for them. I [Jay Forrest] have recently gone through a life transition.

For the last 11 years I have been a night shift employee. I'm now switching to [days]. This has allowed me to reform my habits.

Beginning my morning with meditation, for example. Another habit I'm developing is doing the dishes with my wife. It allows us the opportunity to practice mindfulness together.

To repurpose an old saying, “A family that [meditates] together stays together.” Special bonds are formed in mindful silence.

Find moments of mindful activity then refrain: “Do not fragment your attention.” More: jayforrest.org