Every Step Toward Presence Moves You Away From It !

[origin]

Hello everyone, I would like to share an interesting approach I discovered on the web.

1. Introduction

This natural way of experiencing presence offers a fresh and deeply resonant perspective on spiritual practice.
It comes from Franck Terreaux, whose insights challenge conventional understandings and encourage a more effortless approach to being present.

2. The Simple Way

Franck Terreaux, an author and piano tuner, emphasizes simplicity and effortlessness in his teachings, which encourage us to do nothing, yes, not even meditate. What we seek is already here, even before we consciously begin searching for it.

3. Being, Not Doing

He believes that meditation and simply being are essentially the same. For him, true presence arises without effort. He challenges the common view of meditation as an activity, arguing that any intention during meditation introduces unnecessary striving. The key, according to Terreaux, is realizing that BEING IS ALREADY HERE, you don’t need to search for it or engage in any specific practice. As Jean Klein, whom Terreaux often quotes, put it: "Every step in its direction moves you away from it." ** (Here, "it" refers to the pure presence or being that is always accessible, but not something to pursue actively).

4. The Natural Pause

This effortless path invites us to pause and simply recognize being, free from ego or personal effort. Terreaux says that when we forget everything and don't try to remember, Being is naturally felt. He also describes this experience as a kind of "extinction": it happens through "less," not "more." In this space, being exists without needing to be named or acknowledged verbally.

5. Experiencing Directly

Terreaux offers a brief perceptual experience in the video below, which lasts from 2:16 to 8:12. You may either read through it or follow along as you watch. Going through it might radically change your perspective.

The video is in French, but English automatic captions are available. I’ve also provided a translation below, as the YouTube captions may not be entirely accurate :

Beginning of the experience

Good evening everyone, well, I didn't come to give speeches, so I prefer that we go directly to a perceptual experience.
So we're going to have an experience. There is no easier, no simpler experience. You just need to be comfortable, no need to do anything.
The main thing is that you feel good, that you are comfortable.
Well, so I'm going to do it with you. I'll close my eyes.
It's not mandatory, but it's better.
Even though I haven't asked you to do anything yet, the experience has already begun.
If it has already begun, it's because it consists of doing nothing, absolutely nothing.

Doing Nothing

By doing nothing, there's no need to try to relax or anything like that. That's all effort, so do nothing.
This body is fine as it is. Besides, it doesn't need anything from anyone, so let's leave it alone.
You're just fine the way you are, so there's no reason to ask you to do anything, not even to meditate, to focus your attention here or there. No, do nothing.

Letting Go of Effort

Allow your attention to be still. After all, what use is it when you’re doing nothing ?
It is impossible to do it wrong, impossible to fail because you are doing nothing.
From now on, you might feel yourself sinking deeper inside. So that you no longer have contact with what is up there, constantly producing thoughts. Without doing anything, your body is perfectly relaxed.
It is not relaxed because a meditating self has tried to relax it.
If it is relaxed, it is precisely because this meditating self, by doing nothing, allows the body to relax naturally.

State of Stillness

I'm saying all this, but you don't have to listen to me. You are surely paying no attention.
Because your attention is totally relaxed, no longer focused on anything, not even on the fact that you are doing nothing.
We are now so calm that doing or not doing, it doesn't even cross your mind.
When we do nothing, what remains is the just before anything, just before the idea of relaxing, just before the idea of starting to meditate, just before the attention starts to focus on something, somewhere.

Disappearing of the Self

When the person stops doing, they fade away, disappear.
When the person stops doing, all that remains is being, being without saying it, because saying it prevents us from feeling it.
So I'll start again. When the person stops doing, all that remains is this.
It expands into infinity.

End of the Experience

This first experience is over before it even began because, in any case, you have done absolutely nothing. Everything happened by itself.

6. Closing Thoughts

I hope this perspective resonates with you as a simple yet profound way to tune into presence. I’d love to hear your thoughts or experiences with it.

Have you ever tried this approach to meditation ?

What are your thoughts on "doing nothing" in a meditation practice ?

Have you encountered any teachings similar to Franck Terreaux’s approach ? What's the difference between them ?

For me, it has brought deep peace, reminding me that being present requires nothing at all.

Wishing you a wonderful end to the year, and blessings for your new year

** "Every step in its direction moves you away from it" : https://www.awakin.org/v2/read/view.php?tid=2369

 

 

Edited December 28, 2024 by origin

[Princess Arabia]

Nice, but still one step away from what is. Saying do nothing, is still saying do something - do nothing. Presence is all there is. Even if you're meditating away. Doesn't matter.

He said "everything happened by itself", which I agree with, so there's no need for teachings of "do nothing". It's still a teaching for someone who isn't doing anything to begin with. Irony/paradox is, his message is also just happening and my saying there's no need for teachings saying do nothing is also what's appearing. Can't escape what is. All teachings are not really teachings, they are just what is. There's nothing to teach and no one to teach. If there's a teacher and a student, that's just what's appearing to happen. Doesn't mean one won't teach and one won't learn. I'm simply saying life is just happening by itself with no one teaching or learning but only in appearances. These statements doesn't even matter and they serve no purpose. 

[Breakingthewall]

Agree, that's meditation, don't do absolutely nothing and let yourself open without limits , but the problem is that you need a long path to be able to don't do nothing, usually you are interpreting, giving meaning, projecting, remembering, etc

[origin]

43 minutes ago, Princess Arabia said:

Nice, but still one step away from what is. Saying do nothing, is still saying do something - do nothing. Presence is all there is. Even if you're meditating away. Doesn't matter.

He said "everything happened by itself", which I agree with, so there's no need for teachings of "do nothing". It's still a teaching for someone who isn't doing anything to begin with. Irony/paradox is, his message is also just happening and my saying there's no need for teachings saying do nothing is also what's appearing. Can't escape what is. All teachings are not really teachings, they are just what is. There's nothing to teach and no one to teach. If there's a teacher and a student, that's just what's appearing to happen. Doesn't mean one won't teach and one won't learn. I'm simply saying life is just happening by itself with no one teaching or learning but only in appearances. These statements doesn't even matter and they serve no purpose. 

Your insights are quite thought-provoking. I will definitely ponder the points you made.

[Princess Arabia]

4 minutes ago, origin said:

Your insights are quite thought-provoking. I will definitely ponder the points you made.

😉😉

[origin]

35 minutes ago, Breakingthewall said:

Agree, that's meditation, don't do absolutely nothing and let yourself open without limits , but the problem is that you need a long path to be able to don't do nothing, usually you are interpreting, giving meaning, projecting, remembering, etc

Would it be correct to say that "do nothing" primarily applies to one's internal state, while one can still act freely in the external environment ?

[Breakingthewall]

8 minutes ago, origin said:

Would it be correct to say that "do nothing" primarily applies to one's internal state, while one can still act freely in the external environment ?

Well if we talk about meditation means do nothing internally and externally, until the point of don't feel your body. Expand without limits, not being human anymore. If you are doing something, any activity, you are not expanded, you are focused 

[origin]

10 minutes ago, Breakingthewall said:

Well if we talk about meditation means do nothing internally and externally, until the point of don't feel your body. Expand without limits, not being human anymore. If you are doing something, any activity, you are not expanded, you are focused 

This is huge