Being Time and Being Change Dogen’s Contribution to Understanding the Temporality of Managing Change.

Being Time and Being Time and Being ChangeBeing Change

Dogen’s Contribution to Dogen’s Contribution to Understanding the Understanding the

Temporality of Managing Temporality of Managing Change Change

OverviewOverview

Acting in Real-TimeActing in Real-Time

• Unexpected contingencies require Unexpected contingencies require timely action (Torbert), improvisationtimely action (Torbert), improvisation

• Action in real-time requires an Action in real-time requires an intuitive capacity and presence intuitive capacity and presence (Scharmer, Low)(Scharmer, Low)

• Action can only occur in the Now Action can only occur in the Now (Time-Present)(Time-Present)

• Thinking about action, and acting are Thinking about action, and acting are qualitatively differentqualitatively different

Do Managers Act in Real-Do Managers Act in Real-Time?Time?• Managers’ common complaint is lack Managers’ common complaint is lack

of timeof time• Bias for action often amounts to Bias for action often amounts to

focusing on the fleeting present focusing on the fleeting present (urgent) vs. the NOW (urgent and (urgent) vs. the NOW (urgent and important)important)

• Managers act in linear time, generated Managers act in linear time, generated by the mind's restlessness, reducing by the mind's restlessness, reducing time to a fleeting present. time to a fleeting present.

Dogen’s Temporality: UjiDogen’s Temporality: Uji

• Uji (translated) as “Time-Present,” “Time-Uji (translated) as “Time-Present,” “Time-Presence,” “Time-Being,” “Being-Time” Presence,” “Time-Being,” “Being-Time”

• Uji: Chapter in his major work, Uji: Chapter in his major work, The The Shobogenzo. Shobogenzo.

• Insights derived from his practice of Zazen.Insights derived from his practice of Zazen.

• Dogen: 13Dogen: 13thth Century Japanese Zen Master, Century Japanese Zen Master, founder of Soto schoolfounder of Soto school

The Light of the PresentThe Light of the Present

• ““Time-present means that time is the Time-present means that time is the present, and the present is time.” present, and the present is time.” (p.1)(p.1)

• ““The state of buddha is always made The state of buddha is always made real at a time, and because of this, real at a time, and because of this, the state is illuminated by the light of the state is illuminated by the light of the present.” (p.1)the present.” (p.1)

Temporal ContradictionsTemporal Contradictions

• ““24-hour time is relative; although we can’t 24-hour time is relative; although we can’t be sure if one period of 24-hours is longer be sure if one period of 24-hours is longer or shorter, or faster or slower...we still say or shorter, or faster or slower...we still say the day lasts for 24 hours.” (p.1)the day lasts for 24 hours.” (p.1)

• ““Although we never doubt our ability to Although we never doubt our ability to clearly trace the passage of time, we clearly trace the passage of time, we cannot be sure that we know clearly what cannot be sure that we know clearly what time is.” (p1)time is.” (p1)

Identity as Memory Wrongly Identity as Memory Wrongly InterpretedInterpreted• ““This person I think This person I think

of as myself is a of as myself is a ‘person’ that I put ‘person’ that I put together at one together at one time-present.” time-present.” (p.1)(p.1)

“I have to believe in a world outside my own mind. I have to believe that my actions still have meaning, even if I can't remember them. I have to believe that when my eyes are closed, the world's still there. Do I believe the world's still there? Is it still out there?... Yeah. We all need mirrors to remind ourselves who we are. I'm no different. “--Leonard Shelby

Clarifying the “Real State”Clarifying the “Real State”

• ““But a person who has clarified their But a person who has clarified their real state sees only each thing, each real state sees only each thing, each thing, each thing, and lets go of thing, each thing, and lets go of understanding the nature of each understanding the nature of each thing. And at that moment, time-thing. And at that moment, time-present contains the whole of time, present contains the whole of time, and that time contains all things.” and that time contains all things.” (p1)(p1)

Our Common Spatial, Linear Our Common Spatial, Linear View TimeView Time

• ““We imagine events as parts of a journey, We imagine events as parts of a journey, as though we were crossing a river or as though we were crossing a river or walking over a mountain pass. And walking over a mountain pass. And although we feel fairly sure that the although we feel fairly sure that the mountain pass or the river are still present mountain pass or the river are still present back there where we crossed them, we back there where we crossed them, we have already passed them and moved on to have already passed them and moved on to be illuminated by the present, leaving them be illuminated by the present, leaving them far behind in the distance.”far behind in the distance.”

Deconstructing Time as Deconstructing Time as PassagePassage

• ““At the time when we are crossing the At the time when we are crossing the mountain pass, or crossing the river, we mountain pass, or crossing the river, we are present there, and so time is present are present there, and so time is present there.” (p1)there.” (p1)

• ““Time cannot elude the present”Time cannot elude the present”

• ““Accepting that time does not appear and Accepting that time does not appear and disappear, the time when we are crossing disappear, the time when we are crossing the mountain pass is also a real time-the mountain pass is also a real time-present.” (p1)present.” (p1)

Time-Present Within Past, Time-Present Within Past, Present and FuturePresent and Future

• “…“…we can also think of time as if going up we can also think of time as if going up into the mountains and looking over into the mountains and looking over thousands of peaks, rather than seeing thousands of peaks, rather than seeing time as passing.”time as passing.”

• ““The time-peak when we become angry is The time-peak when we become angry is then a time-present, even though it seems then a time-present, even though it seems it has receded into the past.”it has receded into the past.”

• ““And the time-peak when we become And the time-peak when we become buddha is also a time-present, even buddha is also a time-present, even though it seems to be back there.” (p.1)though it seems to be back there.” (p.1)

Time Is Not Only a FlowTime Is Not Only a Flow

• ““Seeing time as flowing (flying) away Seeing time as flowing (flying) away is not enough.” (p.1)is not enough.” (p.1)

• ““If we think of time only as flowing If we think of time only as flowing (flying) away, then there must be (flying) away, then there must be gaps between instants of time-gaps between instants of time-present as they pass.”present as they pass.”

• ““Real time is always time present, Real time is always time present, and so it is always this time present.” and so it is always this time present.” (p.2)(p.2)

Time is a process Time is a process without substancewithout substance

• ““Time proceeds from today to tomorrow. Today Time proceeds from today to tomorrow. Today precedes back to yesterday. Yesterday proceeds precedes back to yesterday. Yesterday proceeds to today. Today proceeds on through today. to today. Today proceeds on through today. Tomorrow proceeds on through tomorrow.” (p.2)Tomorrow proceeds on through tomorrow.” (p.2)

• ““Although time can be seen as a process like this, Although time can be seen as a process like this, times arriving do not pile up on top of times past, times arriving do not pile up on top of times past, neither do they extend out in a continuous line.” neither do they extend out in a continuous line.” (p.2)(p.2)

Discontinuous Continuity orDiscontinuous Continuity orContinuity of DiscontinuityContinuity of Discontinuity• ““The whole Universe is progressing from The whole Universe is progressing from

one moment to the next; not static, but one moment to the next; not static, but also not continuous process.” (p.2)also not continuous process.” (p.2)

• Not becoming or duration, but Not becoming or duration, but spontaneous manifestation within a spontaneous manifestation within a “trans-temporal” NOW“trans-temporal” NOW

• Temporal Paradox: What is unchanging is Temporal Paradox: What is unchanging is nothing other than the flux of change itselfnothing other than the flux of change itself

Dynamic PresencingDynamic Presencing

• ““Once firewood turns to ash, the ash Once firewood turns to ash, the ash cannot turn back to firewood. Still, one cannot turn back to firewood. Still, one should not take the view that is ashes should not take the view that is ashes afterwardafterward and firewood and firewood before.before. He should He should realize that although firewood is at the realize that although firewood is at the dharma-stage of firewood, and this is dharma-stage of firewood, and this is possessed of before and after, the possessed of before and after, the firewood is beyond before and after.” firewood is beyond before and after.” ((Genjo-Koan, ShobogenzoGenjo-Koan, Shobogenzo))

Horizontal vs. Vertical TimeHorizontal vs. Vertical Time

Source: Sacred Dimensions of Time and Space,Tarthang Tulku

Source: Sacred Dimensions of Time and Space

Passageless Passage of Passageless Passage of Time-PresentTime-Present• “…“…momentary Spring passes through a momentary Spring passes through a

process that we call Spring. But the process that we call Spring. But the passing is not Spring itself; we just think of passing is not Spring itself; we just think of Spring as the movement of momentary Spring as the movement of momentary Spring through the process of Spring.”Spring through the process of Spring.”

• ““But Spring is made real at every time-But Spring is made real at every time-present in the process of Spring.” (p.2)present in the process of Spring.” (p.2)

• Spring does not become SummerSpring does not become Summer

Dogen’s DeconstructionsDogen’s Deconstructions

• Means-ends dichotomy and strong Means-ends dichotomy and strong attachment to instrumental, goal-oriented attachment to instrumental, goal-oriented behaviorbehavior

• Linear time, duration and casualityLinear time, duration and casuality

• Our experience of time is related to our Our experience of time is related to our experience of self (identity)experience of self (identity)

• Cannot experience Time-Present by Cannot experience Time-Present by thinking about it (sense-emptying vs. thinking about it (sense-emptying vs. sense-making)sense-making)

Timeless Wisdom in ActionTimeless Wisdom in Action

….the things that are to happenhave already happened.

Or to say that the end precedes the beginningAnd the end and the beginning were always thereBefore the beginning and after the end.And all is always now…

T.S. Elliot

Gebser, Integral Consciousness, Aperspectival Time