Zen Time by Raji C Steineck

Zen Time by Raji C Steineck

Offers a groundbreaking approach to a key text in Zen Buddhism.

In Zen Time, Raji C. Steineck provides a robust contextualization of Dōgen's Uji, the most renowned text on time in Zen Buddhism. Situating the text within the historical context of the medieval Zen master's writing, Steineck illustrates how Dōgen shaped the rhythm of life in the Zen monastery to actualize his idea that time in itself is salvific. Dōgen was meticulous in his observation of the particulars of each temporal moment, regarding them as an opportunity to bring together interrelated tenets of Buddhist doctrine and practice. In contrast to readings that equate the Zen approach to time with "living the moment" and that pit qualitative understandings of time against quantitative understandings, Steineck shows how Dōgen was able to connect time's qualitative and quantitative aspects in a way that, despite its mystical elements, remains instructive in relation to contemporary secular and philosophical discussions. The book includes a translation of Uji in an appendix.

An open access version of this book was published with the support of the Swiss National Science Foundation.

"This groundbreaking work offers a historically rich analysis of Dōgen and his writingsIt uncovers the intricate workings of medieval monastic religious practices, explains in detail their doctrinal developments, and reconstructs Dōgen's ideas on existence and time in a coherent and original fashion. It is a must-read for established scholars and scholars-in-training in the fields of East Asian religions in general and Buddhism in particular, as well as philosophers interested in what has been termed 'classical Japanese philosophy.'" — Steffen Döll, Hamburg University

"This is one of the finest and most comprehensive works of Dōgen scholarship that I have read in recent years, ranking with the best work of eminent scholars like Steven Heine. The author is steeped in the English, German, and Japanese scholarship to a prodigious, even astounding, level." — Jason M. Wirth, Seattle University, author of Mountains, Rivers, and the Great Earth: Reading Gary Snyder and Dōgen in an Age of Ecological Crisis

Raji C. Steineck is Professor of Japanology at the University of Zurich. He has published widely on Japanese intellectual history and philosophy.