There is a man who makes 
A meal of rosy clouds:
Where he dwells the crowds don't ramble.
Any season is just fine with him,
The summer just like the fall.
In a dark ravine a tiny rill drips,
Keeping time,
And up in the pines the wind's
Always sighing.
Sit there in meditation, half a day,
A hundred autumns' grief will drop away.
                                                              -Han Shan courtesy of dailyzen.com 
D. W. Winnicott said the capacity to feel alone can only be experienced in the company of others. When I read these poems about sitting far away from the rest of the world I used to be troubled by the lack of regard for the suffering of others. Sitting with my clients is connecting to their suffering and doubt. Taking advantage of the unique setting of the consulting room I try to encourage an experience of dwelling where crowds don’t ramble. Being able to mentally sit in meditation while interacting with others gives us the opportunity to deepen our understanding of ourselves. As a hundred autumn’s grief drop away we can alleviate the suffering of others by sitting with them in compassionate ways and showing them how to be alone in the loving  company of others.