Let’s Play a Recording of a Meal

At MAPLE, in roughly the tenth year of training there, during a responsibility period, there was a discussion among community members of the organization, some of whom were in leadership positions. The discussion was about how to free up time in the head teacher’s schedule so that he could work on what was most needed.

I, Virabhadra, was not at the discussion though I heard about it later on.

The discussion included the suggestion to play more recordings of the head teacher, Soryu Forall, e.g.  past dharma talks and guided meditations, which would enable him to offer fewer talks and teaching sessions while the community would still be receiving some teaching.

As a response to this suggestion being approved by the discussion group and not challenged, a day or so later, Forall suggested we play a recording of a meal instead of taking and eating the food that was prepared. The head monk then required each person in the training to put away any food they had gotten into tupperware.

At this time, a community member, Autumn Turley, offered to give a lunch talk on what had happened and thereby made it possible for all of us to take and eat the real food.

Soon after this meal, many community members including myself wrote requests to the head teacher to offer more teachings.