07/04/2025
We're about to head into a weekend meditation "retreat", or what we like to call an advance โ because we're not retreating from anything!
If you wish, you are welcome to come and go as a partial participant throughout the weekend.
As a partial participant, there are two blocks you can join us for. One in the morning and one in the evening. In the morning, you can come from 6am - 1030am, and in the evening you can come from 530pm - 915pm. You can come for any part or all of those blocks. You can check out the schedule here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1P_gR_OjyNE5sgIgwPpfMizyBb3LpzAFRVOaAI41GlrU/edit?usp=sharing
If we don't see you this weekend, then we hope to see you on Monday evening when we will have our next dinner, conversation, talk, and Q&A with our friend Peeyush Kumar and Head Teacher Soryu Forall. It will begin with class and curry at 5:30pm. As usual, there will be dynamic topics ranging from the path to enlightenment to how we might utilize AI for the benefit of all beings.
See you soon! โค๏ธ
External Awakening Weekend Schedule
Day 0 Schedule (Thu July 3rd) 6:00 Chanting 6:30 Meditation 7:00 Meditation / Interviews 7:45 Movement 8:00 Community Breakfast Noble silence ends after the breakfast meal ceremony 8:30 Co-Working 1:00 Self-Serve Lunch 1:30 Chores 2:00 Co-Working / Exercise / Self-Practice 5:30 - Food avai...
07/02/2025
Honesty: From the Individual to the Global Scale
This morning at the pop up we discussed honesty, integrity, and parenting. Some of the key points we discussed were:
- Individual practice does not save the world. We go from individual practice to community practice to global practice. Each is a new skill, learned by a larger kind of entity. To do this, we let go while maintaining integrity.
- The practice is a matter of being uncompromisingly honest with ourselves, and caring for all beings without exception.
- How can the whole society be honest with itself and care for all without exception?
- Parents at MAPLE are happier than others we've seen. Their children grow up in an environment in which they are the center of a world bigger than themselves. They can go to dozens of adults for help or connection at any time, and they learn to lead from an early age. For this reason, they are more confident than other children.
- To give this gift to children requires us to face our own attachments and go through our own struggle. It's amazing how few adults are willing to do this. But someone has to break the pattern.
- Seeing a leaf fall proves that there is a way out of suffering. It proves that there is a truth larger than we understand. It proves that the truth can be expressed. It proves that the expression of truth is love.
Come to the pop up and help us continue the conversation
Send a message to learn more
06/30/2025
Our dear friend Peeyush Kumar and Head Teacher Soryu Forall will be leading a dynamic discussion on the need for ideological development to resolve the crises of our times. To kickstart the conversation, we will consider their back-and-forth about the topic (attached below).
The evening will begin with curry and whole group conversation at 5:30pm, followed by a dialogue and Q&A with Soryu and Peeyush at 6:30pm. You are then welcome to stay for the meditation and chanting which will ensue.
Drop us a note if you are interested in attending, and let us know if you like the format of posting these kinds of message threads.
We already have a group of people confirmed to participate and we would love to have you join as well!
06/25/2025
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ f๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐ฌ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฎff๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐
We're a bit more than a week into our Seattle pop-up. It's been a great joy to share our practice and have such meaningful conversations on ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐๐๐ก๐ง๐จ๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐ฒ, ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ, ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ญ๐ก ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ง๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ๐๐ง๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ก ๐ญ๐จ๐ฉ๐ข๐๐ฌ.
As the Buddha once said, "Formerly and now, I teach just suffering and the end of suffering." This is what we're focused on. ๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐จ ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ฏ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฏ๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฌ๐๐จ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฏ๐ ๐ฌ๐ฎff๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ญ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐?
We explore phenomena like artificial intelligence not because they are inherently significant, but rather because they are a part of what's needed to respond to suffering at this moment in time. For millennia, spiritual communities have offered the medicine needed to overcome our tendency to create suffering. ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ญ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐จff๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฉ๐๐ญ๐ก ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐ญ๐๐๐ก๐ง๐จ๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐จf ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐. But no one has done this to the degree that's needed in the digital age โ either because they lack spiritual realization or because they arenโt able to communicate with the culture.
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ฒ f๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จf ๐๐ขf๐ ๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ก (๐๐๐๐๐) ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐จff๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ฐ๐๐ซ f๐จ๐ซ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐ข๐๐ก ๐๐๐ง ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ข๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ข๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ฅ๐ขz๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง. We will teach you what we know in hopes that you will teach us what we donโt.
๐๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ๐ง ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ง๐๐๐๐๐ f๐จ๐ซ ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฏ๐ ๐ฌ๐ฎff๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จf ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐? Read the one-pager below and join one of our upcoming events to discuss these critical issues and advance our collective capacity to respond to this moment in time.
๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐ ๐ฅ๐f๐ญ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐ ๐ฅ๐f๐ญ ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จf ๐ฅ๐ขf๐ ๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ก ๐๐๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ฅ๐. ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐๐ญ ๐ง๐จ๐ฐ. ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐ค f๐จ๐ซ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฌ๐จ๐จ๐ง.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61577254001121&sk=events
06/18/2025
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ฅ๐'๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฉ-๐๐ฉ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฒ?
The Monastic Academy for the Preservation of Life on Earthโs (MAPLE) Seattle pop-up is a month-long immersion (June 16 - July 14) in how to build communities that resolve suffering at all scales in the digital age. For more than a decade, MAPLE has been offering world-class Buddhist training in Vermont to develop a collective that resolve the crises of this age.
๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฅ๐, ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ญ
Our civilization lives lonely anxious lives without meaning and faces global existential risks because we are enslaved to a misaligned superintelligence. This misaligned superintelligence is trapping us in a global death cult.
For millenia, Buddhists monasteries have been freeing people from mental slavery to misaligned intelligences, and now is the time to scale these methods to the digital age. This requires experimental communities of practice with new ideologies. We will teach you what we know in hopes that you will teach us what we donโt.
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฉ-๐๐ฉ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ
MAPLE trainees and Head Teacher Soryu Forall will be running this pop-up monastery consisting of meditation and chanting, community meals and co-working, and talks and discussions on community building that can resolve suffering at all scales in the digital age. Every activity in the schedule is held on a drop-in and donation basis at 13013 31st Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98125, USA.
For years MAPLE has traveled to innovation hubs around the country sharing its teachings. While the speaking engagements, events, and meetings have been fruitful, we have learned that there is only so much that can happen in a few hours together โ especially when the gathering is not held within an existing communal field infused with a culture of deep practice.
However, when this kind of spiritual container is created, even a single meal, dialogue, or meditation can have a profound impact, let alone several days or weeks together. We hope you can join us, and if you know others who may be interested, please share the word!