I only got about 2 hours of sleep last night as the Dhamma talk went on quite late. The alms round wasn’t any different though and the pain jolted me awake. I was second following Tan B. as Tan T. had to go to Bung Wai and all was good. I tried wearing the main robe as the outer layer today to see if it would make any difference as it was bigger than the outer robe. I don’t think it made any difference at all so I will revert back.

Sangha Tea was more eventful than usual as a few monks asked Tan Ajahn about the possibility of having more time for private practice and potentially having some sort of retreat elsewhere. It was a very interesting discussion with lots of different viewpoints. Some novices were very much for it noting that the current schedule can be overwhelming. Some suggested the option to wake up later. Other monks pointed out that communal responsibility was already small and there’s at least five hours for private practice between 10am-3pm.

Tan Ajahn went to great lengths to explain the current system and why it was. He said that he would consider and think about various options but needed time. I don’t think he will change anything though as he looked rather frustrated. It made me appreciate his role even more. Leadership in any institution is taxing and the monastic community comes with its own challenges. Given that this particular lineage had its own set of disciplines, making any changes at all would take much consideration.