Is “Live in the Present” Really Good Advice? Reflections on a Zen Monk's Self-Criticism

Recently, while reading a book written by a Zen monk, I came across an interesting passage.

Zen and Buddhism often emphasize the idea of living in the here and now.

The past has already gone, and the future has not yet arrived. The present moment is the only time we can actually live, so rather than regretting the past or worrying about a future that has not happened, we should focus on what is directly in front of us.

So far, this is a familiar teaching.

What interested me was that the Zen monk simultaneously offered a self-criticism of Zen itself.

If the emphasis on the present and the acceptance of immediate reality are taken too far, they can weaken our ability to criticize reality.

In other words:

“Accept the present” can turn into “the present is fine as it is.”

This was not criticism coming from outside Zen. I found it interesting that a Zen monk himself had written it.

“Living in the present” is certainly a powerful idea for helping individuals.

But what happens when we bring it into companies and society?

Focusing on the Present Makes Life Easier

People regret the past and suffer by imagining a future that does not yet exist.

“That decision was a mistake.”

“What if I lose my job next year?”

“Will I have enough money for retirement?”

At such times, ask yourself:

“Is there a problem at this very moment?”

That is the question to ask.

If there is not, simply do what needs to be done today.

When thinking too much about the future weighs on me, I sometimes decide, “Today, I will think only about today.” That alone makes me feel considerably better.

The question is how far this way of thinking should be applied.

Whose Interests Are Served by “Accepting the Present”?

“Accept what exists now.”

“Do not cling to what cannot be changed.”

If an individual is suffering over something beyond their control, this is probably an effective way to think.

But the situation changes when a company executive starts saying it.

Salaries are low. Overtime is excessive. There is an enormous amount of pointless work. The manager is unreasonable.

In response, someone says:

“There is no point lamenting your environment. Focus on what you can do right now.”

That is not helpful.

The problem is not your state of mind.

Fix the company.

That is the point.

The philosophy of “accepting reality” can become a tool for justifying the status quo if things that ought to be changed are redefined as realities that must be accepted.

A Company That Ignores the Past Will Repeat the Same Outage

This becomes easy to understand when translated into an engineer’s work.

A major system outage occurs, and the system is eventually restored.

Then the meeting is wrapped up with the words:

“The outage is already in the past. Do not cling to the past. Focus on the work in front of you.”

What would happen?

Of course, no responsible team would do that.

The team investigates the cause, examines why the problem was not detected and why testing failed to find it, and creates measures to prevent a recurrence.

It looks thoroughly into the past.

In other words:

Continuing to regret the past and examining the past are entirely different things.

The former exhausts people.

The latter changes the future.

If both are discarded under the instruction “Do not cling to the past,” the same outage will happen again and again.

The Future Does Not Exist, but We Still Repair Bridges for It

The same applies to the future.

Constantly worrying about a future that has not arrived is exhausting. But that does not mean we can stop thinking about it.

If you are worried about retirement, you save money. You make buildings earthquake-resistant in preparation for earthquakes. If the population is declining, you consider how infrastructure will be maintained in the future.

The future does not yet exist.

But that does not mean we can ignore it because it does not exist.

“Looking only at the present” reduces an individual’s anxiety. If nations and companies also look only at the present, however, it becomes mere postponement.

There is no problem today.

This year will still be fine.

It will not break while I am responsible for it.

Problems are postponed in this way until someone eventually has to pay all the accumulated bills at once.

“Live in the Present” Comes with Instructions for Use

I believe “live in the present” is an excellent idea.

You cannot sleep because of regret over the past. You are afraid of a future that has not happened. No answer comes no matter how much you think.

At such times, it is enough to say, “I only need to live today.”

But once you have calmed down, look at the past.

What happened? Why did it happen?

Then look at the future.

What will happen if things continue this way? What should be changed now?

What I found interesting was that the Zen monk who preached “living in the present” also acknowledged the danger that this philosophy could turn into an endorsement of the status quo.

Precisely because a philosophy is effective, its side effects can be severe when it is used in the wrong place.

If you are suffering over a past or future that you cannot control as an individual,

“Live in the present”

is good advice.

But if, the day after a major company outage, a subordinate tells you,

“The past no longer exists. Let us focus on this very moment.”

then, just for that occasion, it is better to forget the teachings of Zen and make them write the incident report.