In the summer of 2025, we experimented with running what we called pop-up monasteries in a couple of tech hubs on the west coast. For about a month in each location, we rented big houses and turned them into public gathering places for contemplative practice, conversations over meals about transforming the world with the Buddhadharma in the age of AI, and more. I was part of the crew that ran the pop-up in the San Francisco Bay Area, along with our Head Teacher, Soryu Forall, my dharma brother Bodhi, who managed the whole operation, and other training alumni to assist. I was to hold the role of Head Monk, with the essential responsibility of upholding the practice container.
In the opening meeting with the whole crew present at that time, Forall laid out the significance of this endeavor. He mentioned some of my recent failures as examples to caution us against underestimating the gravity and challenge level of the situation. As the conversation continued, I was feeling quite low in self-confidence.
“Doesn't sound like I should have been invited to this,” I said bluntly.
Forall replied in the same calm tone as before, “As I say, we have faith that you can rise.”
"There’s no solid evidence that I can.”
“That's why we call it faith.”
“Sounds like blind faith. I’ve already failed in significant ways.”
“Apparently you did, but we all fail until we succeed. That’s how it is. That's why we call it faith. Your job is to rise—to get over yourself, and rise to the responsibilities. None of us knows if you can do that, but we have faith. You may let us down. We know that.”
As I recalled him saying something similar to me under a previous challenging circumstance, it somehow occurred to me to ask, “Is that how you operate with everybody in this training?”
“Mm-hmm,” he replied simply.
“Even Bodhi?” I asked, thinking, Surely not someone as competent as he is.
“Definitely. Even—” Here he said the name of someone I least expected—a former student who had just recently harmed him physically, and was spreading severe false accusations about him online. I couldn’t help but notice that he used the dharma name, given to someone at the time they take lay ordination and officially commit themself to walking the spiritual path to liberation, even though the person had stopped using it himself. “I still have faith in him, of course.”
I was so astounded I barely knew what to say. “In him doing… In him capable of… doing what?”
“Causing himself enough suffering that he'll wake up, stop deluding himself,” he said, then chuckled. “That's what you're trying to do.”
After that, he segued smoothly back to the main topic. My mind settled enough to keep participating without further resistance.
In the ensuing month, there was at least one precarious situation where I got close to having to leave early, which would have had seriously harmful consequences for everyone, but through much hard work by Forall, my friends and myself, with great faith, we were able to complete this endeavor together.