Samu

Le samuor mindful work, is an inseparable part of Zen practice. It has always been an element of monastic life, and today it is practised not only during retreats (sesshin) at the monastery, but also in dojos and rented centres.

During the samuIn the "house", various activities are carried out, such as cleaning, garden maintenance or renovation work. All practitioners who do not have other important duties related to the spiritual aspect of the practice and the organisation of zazen take part in the work. An activity of this kind is a gift to the whole community, as it provides the opportunity to practise in a beautiful environment that is as suitable as possible. In the case of retreats organised outside the monastery, as part of the samuAt the same time, we're carrying out a range of work on the centre that has been loaned to us for practice. A large part of the samuThe most important thing to remember is to clean up after ourselves and leave the centre without a trace of our passage, preferably in a better order than we found it.

Samu practice during a summer camp at a monastery in France

Le samu allows the practice of mindfulness to be integrated into daily life and to be recognised in ordinary activities. Zen is not in the least detached from life; it is the conscious and profound experience of each moment. Visit samu is therefore done calmly and with precision, feeling our being, the work being done and the whole environment, completing each task to the end. If we act with the right attitude, serene, benevolent and filled with conscious presence, we experience great pleasure at work, totally independent of the nature of the task we have been assigned.

Le samu is the extension of zazen and the realisation of the spirit of the practice, selfless and attentive, in the activity of the body. So there are no more or less important activities, no better or worse tasks. Each one is carried out with the same spirit.