$ cat recurse.tt2
[% BLOCK recurse %]
[% META name = 'my file' -%]
recursion count: [% counter %]
[% counter = counter + 1 -%]
[% RETURN IF counter > 3 -%]
[% PROCESS recurse %]
[% END %]

[% PROCESS recurse counter = 1 %]
    [% FOREACH variable IN [ 6, 7, 9 ] %]
       The variable is set to [% variable %]
    [% END %]

##</code><code>##

$ tpage recurse.tt2



recursion count: 1

recursion count: 2

recursion count: 3




       The variable is set to 6

       The variable is set to 7

       The variable is set to 9



##</code><code>##

#------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Compiled template generated by the Template Toolkit version 2.22
#------------------------------------------------------------------------

Template::Document->new(
    {
        METADATA => {
            'modtime' => '1297498495',
            'name'    => 'my file',
        },
        BLOCK => sub {
            my $context = shift || die "template sub called without context\n";
            my $stash   = $context->stash;
            my $output  = '';
            my $_tt_error;

            eval {
                BLOCK: {

                    $output .= "
\n
\n";
#line 9 "recurse.tt2"
                    $output .=
                      $context->process( 'recurse', { 'counter' => 1 } );
                    $output .= "
\n    ";
#line 12 "recurse.tt2"

# FOREACH
                    do {
                        my ( $_tt_value, $_tt_error, $_tt_oldloop );
                        my $_tt_list = [ 6, 7, 9 ];

                        unless (
                            UNIVERSAL::isa( $_tt_list, 'Template::Iterator' ) )
                        {
                            $_tt_list = Template::Config->iterator($_tt_list)
                              || die $Template::Config::ERROR, "\n";
                        } ## end unless ( UNIVERSAL::isa( $_tt_list...))

                        ( $_tt_value, $_tt_error ) = $_tt_list->get_first();
                        eval { $_tt_oldloop = $stash->get('loop') };
                        $stash->set( 'loop', $_tt_list );
                        eval {
                            FOR1: while ( !$_tt_error )
                            {
                                $stash->{'variable'} = $_tt_value;
                                $output .= "
\n       The variable is set to ";
#line 11 "recurse.tt2"
                                $output .= $stash->get('variable');
                                $output .= "
\n    ";
                                ( $_tt_value, $_tt_error ) =
                                  $_tt_list->get_next();
                            } ## end while ( !$_tt_error )
                        };
                        $stash->set( 'loop', $_tt_oldloop );
                        die $@ if $@;
                        $_tt_error = 0
                          if $_tt_error
                              && $_tt_error eq Template::Constants::STATUS_DONE;
                        die $_tt_error if $_tt_error;
                    };

                    $output .= "
\n";
                } ## end BLOCK:
            };
            if ($@) {
                $_tt_error = $context->catch( $@, \$output );
                die $_tt_error unless $_tt_error->type eq 'return';
            }

            return $output;
        },
        DEFBLOCKS => {
            'recurse' => sub {
                my $context = shift
                  || die "template sub called without context\n";
                my $stash  = $context->stash;
                my $output = '';
                my $_tt_error;

                eval {
                    BLOCK: {
                        $output .= "
\n";

                        $output .= "recursion count: ";
#line 3 "recurse.tt2"
                        $output .= $stash->get('counter');
                        $output .= "
\n";
#line 4 "recurse.tt2"
                        $stash->set( 'counter', $stash->get('counter') + 1 );
#line 5 "recurse.tt2"
                        if ( $stash->get('counter') > 3 ) {
                            $context->throw( 'return', '', \$output );
                        }

#line 6 "recurse.tt2"
                        $output .= $context->process('recurse');
                        $output .= "
\n";
                    } ## end BLOCK:
                };
                if ($@) {
                    $_tt_error = $context->catch( $@, \$output );
                    die $_tt_error unless $_tt_error->type eq 'return';
                }

                return $output;
            },
        },
    }
);