Stories for practice
3 Buddhist wisdom stories for practice from Buddhist teachers, each linked to the original talk.
- First five-minute meditation, 1969Story · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: In 1969 — about fifty-five years before this talk — Ajahn Brahm sits for his first meditation, only five minutes. Even that tiny taste of peace and relaxation catches him; he…
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I sat down to do some meditation, which was in 1969. How many years ago is that? 55? 55 years ago. It was only for 5 minutes. And I remember that and it was just like, "That feels good. It's peaceful. It's relaxing." And it was a lot of only a tiny bit of happiness, but it really felt good. And it caught me the very first time I I did some meditation. And hopefully that every one of you can feel the same
- Mum kissed his scraped knee betterStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: As a boy playing soccer in the London streets he falls, scrapes the skin off his knees, and runs to his mother crying. She kneels down and kisses it better — and it works every…
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used to play soccer in the streets in London if I fell over I scraped the skin from my knees I'd run to my mother crying and all she would do is kneel down and kiss it better it worked every time
- She sat all night in the stupaStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: On a Hong Kong and Indonesian retreat, a woman begins sitting on the stupa floor in the evening and is still there in the morning. Others put a blanket around her; she does not…
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this lady she started she was in the evening she started meditating on the floor of the stupa. And she just carried on all night. And then other people saw her. It was cold so they put a blanket around her. She never responded. And they know that you're meditating I describe these things to them or they knew exactly what was happening what to do. But then they came in the morning they said they shouted at her come on it's time to go for breakfast we're leaving today we've got a big ceremony first. And she didn't respond. So I told them don't call any ambulance just go back there and instead of shouting at her tell her very softly and very kindly Ajahn Brahm asked you to come to the main hall. Just once. And about half an hour later she appeared in the main hall and said you asked me to come here. I said yes. You know we've got to get ready to actually to go today. And so do you want a breakfast? She said no. Listen I said can I carry on meditating