'Zen Words' This moment (nikon), also sometimes read as ‘jikon’

This moment (nikon), also sometimes read as ‘jikon’.

This is a term coined by Dogen Zenji, founder of the Soto school of Zen Buddhism, in his book Shobogenzo.The literal translation of the word is not simply ‘now’ but is interpreted as meaning ‘this moment’.

In Zen Buddhism, time is perceived differently to the way it is generally perceived.We usually think of time as a one-way passage from the past to the present and into the future. In Zen Buddhism, however, the past and future, which are not ‘this moment’ of the present moment,are considered as a kind of delusion that exists only in the mind of each individual.

Let me chew on this image a little.

In the Zen way of thinking, everything that exists in the world is connected by causality,so that no matter which ‘part’ of the world is cut out and isolated,the whole world is expressed in that part.This ‘part’ can include, for example, a blade of grass growing on a hill somewhere,a pencil on a desk, and of course one’s self.Seeing it in this way, we can entertain the idea that the equation ‘the world = me’ holds true.

In the same way, we can also consider that all the events of the past and future events yet to happenare all included in the reality of the ‘present’ moment.Past events are memories of that which has already happened and now exist only in our minds.Future events have not happened yet and are only imagined in the mind.The past and future are therefore like ‘delusions’ that do not exist in reality.There is only the reality of the present moment.

In other words, ‘time’ is a concept that exists only in our minds and would not exist if we did not exist. In this way, we can understand ‘time’ to be existence itself,which is standing in front of us in the present moment.Then, the equation ‘time = I (or existence)’ can be considered to be true.

Based on the above, the following equation is valid in the world of Zen: World = I = Time.

In our ordinary lives, it is difficult to grasp the sense that ‘the world = me = time’.It is very difficult to question the assumptions (the so-called ‘common sense’)by which we have been living our lives every day without question.

I believe that zazen is a techniqueby which we can question old assumptionsand arrive at new truths based on our own realities. The world = me = time.

Why not meditate on this equation next time you practise zazen? Tosei Shinabe