What is MAPLE to me?

Maple to me, is a refuge. No where else in my life have I experienced such a degree of elevation in my appreciation of beauty, generosity of spirit, power of conviction, clarity of mind, joy, peace, and wonder. Nor have I found elsewhere friends whom I can trust to witness me in my deepest vulnerability, friends who are endeavoring towards integrity and kindness and can hold me accountable when I am failing in my own similar efforts. Nor have a found a friend and teacher like Soryu who is willing to dive into my thickets of confusion and emotional turmoil and guide me to clearer spaces with such grace and intelligence, to call me out on my garbage, to lay down the stones — patiently, one by one — as I walk the path towards a life of service anchored into the transcendent beauty of the Dharma.

Soryu’s teaching style, which many have called aggressive, some have called arrogant, few have even called totalitarian, has also been described to me by the many who’ve come through this training in the last year and a half as jaw-droppingly on-point, deeply compassionate and kind, wise and patient and tough-loving and clearly motivated by the desire to bring our lives into true accord with the Dharma and enable us to be the stewards of change we want - and the worlds needs - us to be.

Indeed the training, particularly during retreats, is demanding, exhausting, and sometimes triggering, yet — and partially because of this — it is also extremely fun, life-changing, powerful and beautiful. Facing the most primordial patterns of contraction and suffering in my mind is not an easy thing to do … but having a teacher like Soryu who goads me onward when I squirm in the face of these patterns has been a tremendous gift. The spiritual openings and purifications of mind that have come from walking confidently forward in these moments have unquestionably been the most beautiful and empowering experiences of my life. I’ll forever be a different person because of them, and it’s clear to me after-the-fact that Soryu knows what he is doing when pushing us in the way he often does. It would be a great loss if other dedicated practitioners didn’t have the opportunity to experience this style of training in contrast with the gentler style so abundant in the US.

Another great gift has been to witness people come through here as guests, apprentices and residents, and leave with a fuller heart, a clearer mind, and newfound courage to achieve their highest aspirations and be of service in this time of global crisis. The ripples of positive transformation that are emanating from this little enclave of Goodness in the woods of Northern Vermont are only yet to be seen, and we would all be at a loss if those ripples didn’t have the chance to mature into waves and - with perhaps a touch of grandiosity - a tsunami that uproots the systems of greed that govern society and helps steward the creation of new systems anchored into the timeless principles of wisdom and love. But forgoing that lofty vision for a second, and forgetting the other numerous ways MAPLE already makes an impact, I would still be willing to dedicate the next few years of my life to the growth of this community if only for the mark it leaves on the lives of those who pass through.

The Sacred is very much alive at Monastic Academy, I’m rather happy fate has landed me here, and I pray that what it has to offer may continue to be received by the many who stand to benefit.

With love, Sky