Solitary Practice ?

I have always been a fervent defender of making silent sitting a solitary practice.
I now recognise the tendency towards formal disintegration that such a practice can represent.
Very often, this development constitutes a lesson in itself… in that it counterbalances the potential installation of artificial rigorism and underlines structural attachments, which can hinder the path to liberation.

Still, today, I must recognize the negative effects of a formalized practice around this solitude.Through this observation, I can now emphasize that in collective practice, everyone is in a way in charge of the other’s practice.

The friction between disciples provides direct and very rich practice material, which is insufficiently appreciated when we benefit from a collective context.Friction can occur during breaks, before, after formal practices,or during practice: even if, in the end, all sensory stimulations are equal :
There is at least a difference between the cat, the bird, the wind in the trees that I hear this morning and the clearing of throats, the sniffles of people, the rustling of clothes, the excessive, irritating slowing down of walking.

..This ostentatious movement which constituted, without me necessarily knowing it, unequaled practice material during collective meetings.However, cradled, immersed again in this environment, I know that I would write a symmetrical article in the glory of the solitary seat.When you walk have you noticed that you are already there,
never here, you project yourself to the moment of arrival, constantly,all the path you travel, to achieve it, you never truly travel it.

©FJ Dec 2023
Recueils / Participation/ Groupe de Pratique