A Clear Measure of Suitability for the Training

In the 8th year of training in the Monastic Academy network, a guest named Hannah stayed at the California center for a few weeks. She loved the community but hated the training. She wasn’t physically or psychologically strong enough to follow the training schedule she had agreed to, but she treasured the deep care and connection we offer.

Hannah asked if she could extend her stay. The leadership team asked the Head Teacher Soryu Forall about this decision. He said, “We need to assess if the training is appropriate for someone, and the clearest objective measure is: Are they following the schedule?” The leadership team said that Hannah was completely incapable of this, that she didn’t train according to the schedule for even one day while she was there. Soryu said, “If she can’t follow the schedule, then she has to leave.”

She still wasn’t following the schedule despite continuous feedback and support from the group. So, we asked her to leave on the date she had arranged with us prior to her arrival, even though she repeatedly requested to be allowed to stay.