I observe in my practice that an important aspect of meditation and prayer to which too little attention is paid is the way in which we put an end to this formal practice of prayer and meditation.
Sometimes, I am so absent that I realize that I have finished my practice several seconds, minutes after having actually gotten up.
Already, I am standing with my hand on the doorknob, ready to go out.
I see it as a form of rudeness towards the depths of our consciousness, an abrupt, rough way of taking leave of God.
The feeling of getting up from the table at a friend’s house, then leaving and starting to go home without thanking him or saying goodbye,
This is a temporal abyss from which attention has been sucked.
Let’s not forget to be careful, until the end.
This common lack of attention is an opportunity for lost depth,
It taints the entire practice session.
The phenomenon of ‘botching’ is also due to the automation put in place by a rejected practice.
The beginner’s mind is fresh in the approach,
It is also the guarantor of the installation of consciousness-swallowing automatisms,
Every time,
The first time
True practice.
©FJ Sept 2024
Recueils / Participation/ Groupe
Notes & Silence 
« Taking leave of God »…?
Interesting idea, in itself.
Leaving that aside, just saying an equivalent of « Amen » is as pointless as saying nothing, it seems to me.
Nor is excessive formality useful. If we each bear an element of the divine, respect becomes a parody if too obsequious, and words meaningless, if mere repetition.
So – how would you finish, practically?
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Finishing is a never-ending practice.
Not even sure death solves it.
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I’m reasonably certain it doesn’t.
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At least, that is a reliable level of certainty.
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