Matthew walks across the Zen garden of Kodaiji temple in Kyoto.He slowly moves forward along the dense thickets. Large rocks have put on a wet
Étiquette : practice
Night Breathing
Tonight, as I switch between the comfort of a Kyoto hotel room which offers me a comfortable double bed,and the accusation of incongruity that arises
Never Obliged To
You can never force your mind to stop talking,But you are never obliged to listen. ©FJ August 2021Articles are available as books and e-books :
Meeting The Kesa Of My Life
Today is February, the First, of 2019I am 39 years old.In a few minutes, we’ll celebrateThe seventh birthday of my younger son. At the back
One or Many Truths ?
(An Answer to Mary) I would say that the different levels of subjective truth intermingle. They are all true, on different degrees, depending on the
Harvesting Drips
I simply dip the quill in the zafuAnd words drill at the tipThen I harvest them on a notebook.That is all there is to it.
A Single Practice
If Buddhism speaks to me, it is because, when I read the texts or when I listen to the talks, they reflect practical experiences I’ve
Blaring Woofers At The Red Light
The shutter that keeps quickly slamming against the window is suddenly smashed by the night wind.This does not bother me at all. The car humming
Through The Eyes Of God
Sister M., in one of the audio podcast I use while jogging, very quietly, says thatDuring our prayers, our moments of silent sitting, we should
Notes On The Four Vows
The four lines recited through Buddhist sects in general and in Zen Soto in particular are generally understood are a ritual passages addressed to others
Tormented Sitting
« Master, I feel so helpless, the onslaught of my thoughts seems to have doubled in vigor lately.Even if I sit zazen, they totally draw me
Breathing Arabesques
Have you ever met what awaitsAt the very end of an exhalationDid you let the breath in unfurl its arabesquesTo the end of the ends
Tickles In The Forehead
It had been a long time since the ticklingBehind the center of the foreheadHad not sprung up in the course of Just Sitting. Small gravel
Down Gossip Abyss
A few nights followedNow, in front of your feet,the chasm begins to open. A few faults, a scree, and here, it presents itself to you.
He is Walking Among Us
30 minutes of sitting, Matthew gets up slowly and his legs are numb. Only two candles illuminate the practitioners who, one by one, stand up
Notes & Silence 