Dhara – December 17, 2023
Setting the Stage: Winter Solstice and New Year's
In 4 days, it will be the winter solstice — the darkest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
It symbolizes rebirth and renewal — a new cycle begins.
Similarly, New Year's is often used to reset — letting go of the old, resolving to live differently.
But...
Our modern marking of New Year's Eve (December 31) is arbitrary —
It's based on the Gregorian calendar (established 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII).
Time, as we measure it, is a social construct.
Time Is a Social Construct
Clocks, watches, calendars = inventions that create the illusion of linear time.
We even use economic metaphors: "spend time," "save time," "waste time."
We value time as a commodity — something to trade, hoard, or lose.
Anthropologist Edward T. Hall (1966, The Silent Language):
Polychronic cultures (Latin America, Mediterranean, Africa, Middle East):
Flexible about time.
People and relationships come before clocks.
Monochronic cultures (North America, Northern Europe):
Value punctuality and schedules.
"The tyranny of the clock" = anxiety over time management.
Zen’s Relationship to Time
In Zen practice:
Bells signal time, but the goal isn't obedience — it's awareness.
When the bell sounds: Drop everything and respond without hesitation.
Timed sittings help:
Let go of personal preferences.
Support group (Sangha) harmony.
Develop patience and discipline.
Takeaway:
Zen uses "time" to teach presence, letting go, and supporting each other — not rigid scheduling.
The Railroad and the Standardization of Time
From a Radiolab podcast (Time, 2010):
Before the railroad, local times varied — even neighbors’ clocks could be minutes apart.
Railroads demanded synchronized time for commerce and safety.
Railroad time forced society to adopt standardized clock time — birthing our modern obsession.
Before this shift:
People used the sun, flowers opening/closing, and birdsong to sense time.
Deeper Reality of Time: Change Is Constant
Time is real at a deeper level because everything changes:
Light and darkness.
Seasons cycling.
Our own bodies aging and evolving.
We are time — constant movement, adaptation, response.
Even at the cellular level:
Cells are dividing, dying, regenerating.
Microbes on our skin are constantly shifting.
"Nothing about us is static."
Zen Warnings About Time and Death
Eihei Dogen’s Verse (on the wooden block played before sitting):
"Great is the matter of birth and death.
Life slips quickly by.
Time waits for no one.
Wake up, wake up! Don’t waste a moment."
Linji (Rinzai) said:
"There is no place of rest in the Three Worlds.
Life is like a house on fire."
Meaning:
Time is burning — practice NOW. Don't delay.
Personal Story: Sudden Change
A Sangha member, healthy and disciplined, had a major stroke — suddenly and unexpectedly.
Reminder: Life can change in a single instant.
Every Moment Is Practice
No matter your mood:
Tired, restless, bored, energized —
This moment is the right time to practice.
From the Blue Cliff Record:
"Every day is a good day."
"Right now is always the time to practice."
Karma: A Nonlinear Web
Karma isn't simple cause-effect.
It's a vast web of interrelationships.
Everything depends on everything else:
Plants need rain, sun, bees.
Paper needs clouds, trees, loggers, wheat.
Thich Nhat Hanh’s "Interbeing":
A single sheet of paper contains clouds, sunshine, farmers, bread, parents...
Nothing exists alone.
Thus, you are not just "you" —
You are part of the vast body of Buddha, the whole of existence.
Final Reflection: Right Now Is It
Reflecting on 2023, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.
Wars, climate change, injustice.
Personal losses, family crises, health scares.
But all of that —
Past sorrows.
Future anxieties.
— live in thoughts.
What we have is this very moment.
If we truly settle into the now:
There is no time.
No separation.
Only this vast, living presence.
Quick Takeaways
(Heath & Heath, 2007 style)
🎯 Time is a social construct, but change is real.
🎯 Zen uses time to teach presence, not control.
🎯 Life can change in an instant — practice now.
🎯 Karma is nonlinear — everything is interconnected.
🎯 You are not a separate self — you are part of the vast, unfolding whole.
🎯 Right now is the only time to practice.
