Buddhist teaching about time is important to learn. It compares with teachings in philosophical and cultural works — post structuralism, pre-post structuralism. I wish we buddhists would not act like its a terribly new thing. This is a long span of time… forever and before. Hey, you may already know the teaching without having read or heard of it.
This moment includes pasts and futures, and is in an itself, a thing of its own. We often point specifically to Dogen’s work, “uji” translated as being time, though I think the exact translation is something else. uji: area of tea production, lineage groups in 7th century, now and then.
Ok, so seriously, Uji has meaning in shinto…. something to do with the clans, lineage, and gods. I do not know the historiography of how Dogen came to write the fascicle which is known as “being time” . But of course, since the city of uji, a stonesthrow from Kyoto (where Dogen spent time in training before going to China) one wonders if Dogen’s writing “being time” was also a commentary on local lineage and gods (and power) in the kyoto area. Just saying.
I keep old New Yorker magazines around…. for so long that I cannot recall if I’ve read part of them, or not. Its like an obligatory practice that I read all of it.. like books, texts (including buddhist texts). Honestly, I don’t know I do that. Old stuff. So today, as I have done every now and then, i go through, collate, and toss. I mean having all these magazines laying around makes me feel like inadequate. Anyway, they are online… and I can read anytime.
what does it all have to do with dog time, you ask.
