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Meditating in a group is one of the most direct ways to experience the interconnection between all beings.. In the practice of Soto Zen Buddhism, zazen It is not just an individual practice, It is a living expression of our common unity. Practicing with other people reinforces perseverance and helps us enter more easily into silence and shared presence..
Many people approach meditation through readings, videos or solitary practices at home, looking for silence and serenity. This can go on for a while., but often the practice ends up being diluted, Life drags us and meditation is left for another time. Instead, shared practice has a quality that sustains us beyond individual effort. In Soto Zen Buddhism, Practice has never been a lonely pursuit, but a manifestation of interdependence. Zazen It is not a personal act, but the collective expression of life itself. When we sit together in silence, the breaths are rhythmic, Minds calm more easily and an atmosphere of attention and natural presence is generated in the group.. This common resonance is not something mystical or emotional., It is the direct experience of being one with all existences.
In the Soto Zen Camino Medio Community, This spirit becomes visible every time we meet in the dojo or in daily online practice.. Each person contributes their presence, his intention and his silence. Even if we don't say a word, we influence each other. The simple act of being there reminds us that we are not separate and that the practice is deeper when it is held in community.. Group meditation also serves a very human function: helps maintain consistency. The mind, when she is alone, find a thousand reasons to postpone or abandon the practice. But when we share a schedule, a space and a commitment, inertia becomes natural discipline. The group acts as a mirror and support, reminding us of the purpose that unites us: cultivate attention, compassion and deep understanding of existence.
Besides, Shared practice has transformative power in everyday life. In the silence of the group we learn to listen without judgment, to sustain presence without imposing our personal interests, to open the heart. The practice thus extends beyond the cushion, since we learn to live together, to respect rhythms and differences, to discover that the community is not a sum of individuals, but a living organism. In Soto Zen Buddhism we say that when a person sits in zazen, the entire universe sits with her. Practicing in a group is a tangible reminder of that interconnection. We don't practice just for ourselves, but with all beings. That's why, in the CSZCM We encourage group practice both in local dojos and online practice. It's not just a question of support or schedules, but to recognize that the spirit of Zen flourishes in the relationship. To practice together is to embody the teaching of the interconnection of all beings and to remember that awakening does not belong to the domain of I and not mine., but it arises naturally in the relationship between all members of the community.
The best, without any doubt, is to experience it in a trusted group, in a place where respect is breathed, silence and presence. No one can fully explain to you what it means to share. zazen, Just as no one can describe the taste of an apple to you.. You can read, imagine or listen to other people's experiences, but the true meaning is only revealed when you take a bite.