Stories for public speaking
9 Buddhist wisdom stories for public speaking from Buddhist teachers, each linked to the original talk.
- “A question for Mr. Monk”Story · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Arriving late at a Perth radio studio after a Friday talk, Ajahn Brahm only learns once on air that he is co-hosting a two-hour adult-themes show beside Australia's best-known…
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that sort of show I went on, on radio, on 6PR I think it was, and it was a show on adult themes, 10 to 12 p.m. people actually ringing up with sexual dysfunctions, problems in marriage. Imagine asking a celibate monk about that. But I was confident. I didn't know what I was talking about, but I was confident.
- 'Ajahn Chah is giving this talk'Story · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: The first time Ajahn Brahm gave a really big talk on his own — at the Suntec City convention centre in Singapore, to 3,000–4,000 people — he was afraid, not only of giving a bad…
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the one of the tricks which I I did when I first gave a huge talk over in Singapore all by myself there's no B act or no supporting act it was just a bra at Sant city there was the uh convention center there about 3 or 4 thousand people the first time I gave a really big talk and I was afraid afraid not so much of, you know, not giving a good talk, but afraid of also the problems of giving a good talk, becoming too proud and arrogant, thinking you're the the best mug in the whole of the world or whatever. And that's also dangerous. So, how can you get not really worry what other people think of you? It was pretty simple because I knew that whatever talk I gave was only because of the teachers which I'd had especially someone like an agent. So as I was walking to the the chair the chair there lots of flowers everywhere and with all these people about to listen to me I thought I'm not giving this talk. It is Ajancha my teacher was giving the talk. I'd just been trained by him, conditioned by him. So I have nothing to worry about. I didn't there was no fear at all. Because I had no fear, I gave a really good talk and I had to go back again, give another one.
- 'Do you know a famous monk called Ajahn Brahm?'Story · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Trying to avoid pride, Ajahn Brahm sits incognito at the back of a Buddhist conference in Vietnam. A Vietnamese monk sits beside him to practise his English: who are you, where…
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So I remember just this is what happens when you get go incognito. I remember being in Vietnam at a conference and I just sitting in the back and when I was sitting in the back in Vietnam at a Buddhist conference this Vietnamese monk came and sat next to me. I knew from experience what he wanted was just to practice his English cuz if those Vietnamese monk Asian monks if they know good English they have many opportunities open to them. So this monk came and sat next to me and he said now who are you? Where are you from? I said I am from Australia. Oh, welcome to Vietnam. And he said what part of Australia? I say I'm from Perth. Oh, I'm not making this up. Okay. And the next thing he said, do you know a famous monk called Ajan Brah? He said that honestly. Oh my goodness. And then I said, "Yes, I know him." And then I I shouldn't have done this. I said, "I am Ajam Brown." Ah, he was kind of shocked. Oh my goodness. What have I got myself into? But instead of getting proud or arrogant or getting afraid and this I said this to the monks whenever you give talks when prasada and any of the nuns you're not giving the talk I went up on that stage and I said the only reason why I'm opening my my mouth and saying these things because of all of the teachings which I had from my teacher, my master Ajancha and all the other great monks which I knew and all the things which I had read and learned from other highly attained monks and nuns and I thought I'm not giving the talk this evening my teachers are. So um you made a mistake there when you said Ajan Charles Ajan Brah's G I almost said it there didn't I when Ajan Brah's giving the talk this evening I never give a talk at the BWA it's all my teachers and all the people who have helped me what that does it takes away any sense of ego any sense of fear any sense of uh personally owning the contents of your talk. Sometimes I do say mistakes and if I say mistakes it's not my fault. It's my teacher. Blame him.
- Late-night Thai TV in BangkokStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: After flying Perth–Bangkok from a 3.30 a.m. start, Ajahn Brahm is scheduled for a 10.30 p.m. live Thai TV interview. Nested: the Perth Thai talk hearers thought was Pali. On air…
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It was very, very dodgy when I went to Bangkok all the way from Perth, getting up really early in the morning, to get to the airport, to get on the plane, I got up about 3.30 in the morning, and by the time I got to Bangkok late in the afternoon, I found out they had scheduled me for a TV interview at 10.30 p.m. I just had time for a quick shower and [went] back to the studios, which is not so bad, but it was in Thai. Sometimes you think I'm fluent in Thai, but once - here in Perth - there were some visiting Thai people and they asked for some teaching, so I taught them maybe 15 minutes of Buddhism in Thai. And afterwards they said they were so impressed. "We didn't realize that you could give a speech in Pali." [audience laughing] That wasn't Pali, that was Thai! "Oh", the Thai people said, "really?" In other words, they didn't understand a word of it - not one word. [audience laughing] And here I was on live TV, making an idiot of myself, I thought, speaking in Thai, but I did really well. There were actually two other Thai people there, two Thai monks being interviewed, one was the rector of Mahajula Lukon university Venerable Dammakosaja and he was very good, but the other fellow being interviewed was a Thai monk who was a resident in a Buddhist monastery in Oxford. And apparently, afterwards, my Thai, even though I'm a Westerner, that came across much more fluent than this Thai guy who was staying at Oxford for the last few years. [audience laughing] And I thought "How can that be?" Well, I was from Cambridge and he was from Oxford. Cambridge is always supreme.
- Make-up before the cathedral sermonStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: The Dean of St George's Cathedral, Perth, invites Ajahn Brahm to give the Sunday eucharist sermon — the first time, the Dean says, a non-Christian has given the Sunday sermon in…
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He invited me to give the sermon on a Sunday um eukarist I think it was called and he should know what he was talking about. He was a boss in that cathedral. He said it was the first time that a non-Christian had ever given the Sunday sermon in a cathedral in the world in 2,000 years. I thought, "Wow, that's really neat." Because of that, I got on TV beforehand and I remember just channel seven or nine, I forget which one it was. And when I went there to do an interview beforehand, you know what happened? They said, "You have to do makeup first of all." [laughter] And I said, "Was anybody ever refused?" And they said, "Some I think null Gallagher from uh some pop group." Oasis. Oasis. Okay. Yeah, he's the only one who refused makeup and I didn't really want to be put in the same category. So, they did quick makeup and the worst part of that I remember was Ajan Bardi was accompanying me that weekend and he was laughing his head off making sides of the [laughter] really mean to me and I forgave him. It was good fun. But anyway, just as a result of that, we did this this big um talk over in St. George's Cathedral and that was I really remember that for a long time because the place was packed and it was standing room only in the aisles everywhere and that the point was no one knew who was a Christian, who was a Buddhist and no one really cared
- No BS — Fremantle jail audienceStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Teaching in old Fremantle jail while it was still open; prisoners warn: no BS — if we disagree we will tell you. Tough and refreshing.
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old freem manle jail when it was still open and I thank those prisoners in that jail CU as soon as I walked in to give a talk and know they said no BS unfortunately I can't say the PO word now because people already complain when I use this word which I'm not supposed to say but I've said it again but this is Australia okay we're supposed to sort of teach in the local language but they said you know please no BS you know over in here if we don't agree with what you say we're going to tell you
- No side entrance — through the public barStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Lions Club talk at the back of a Pinjarra pub; he expects a side door for the monk — there is only one way in, straight through the public bar.
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pub in Pinjara many years ago. There was I know these little stories about monks just getting into trouble. Not real big trouble, but I was giving a talk at the Lions Club and it was in the back room of a pub. That's where they have these talks. And I thought there'd always be like a side entrance around the back. we can go around the back and said, "No, there's only one way in and out to that room through the bar." And so, so the driver dropped me off at the entrance cuz we're not allowed to drive at the entrance. They went off to do something, pick you up later. And I was outside the pub in my [laughter] Thank you for laugh encouraging in my robes, not knowing what to do next. and he said, "Oh, the horse in the back." And I could actually, it's a straight line. I could see it through the door down the back where that room was. Okay, let's go for it. Very courageous. So, I put my head down. I didn't look to the left, the right, and I just went for it. And I almost almost got there almost like 80% of the way. And then somebody hand on my shoulders, pulled me around. Braum, what you drinking? Do you want a beer?
- The anti-war rally on Parliament stepsStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Just before an Iraq war, Ajahn Brahm, with Dennis, accepts an invitation to speak on the steps of Western Australia's Parliament House — not to be political, only pacifist: there…
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I remember that once I did accept an invitation to go to a well I don't know if it's really a political demonstration because n Dennis was there with me that time it was just before the in invasion of Iraq the Iraq War I think it's the first one was the second one I don't know what which one it was I can't remember now so I accepted the invitation to go to the state Parliament House you know on the steps where the where the um demonstrations are and just give a little speech I wasn't trying to be um political I was just trying to be just pacifist and come on you don't need to invade a country there's other ways to solve problems and it's just going to cause huge amounts of of suffering no real suffering afterwards I thought I was Mo I should go there but I was very concerned because as soon as I started talking about you know no we shouldn't send the send the troops into Iraq and all the ORD yeah no troops in Iraq and I had to be very careful because even just one word and people get motivated with like anger and irritation and that was such a dangerous thing to actually to see that happening in giving a talk and actually arousing people's what they thought was righteous indignation justifying anger because you could see just how that could motivate people to violence seeing that was just really dangerous
- The cold that vanished mid-talkStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: On his first visit to Canberra, his hosts take Ajahn Brahm everywhere all day in the cold, getting lost, with no rest. By evening he has a terrible cold, and at a big public talk…
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first time I went to Canberra to give a series of talks and to my house they took me all over the place all day and they got lost and it was one of these days no rest and just from early in the morning it was really cold so by the end of the day I had this terrible cold and I was supposed to give a talk public talk in a big Temple advertised all these people came and as soon as I started trying to give a talk every other sentence I'd sneeze and cough and stuff was coming out of my nose ears everywhere it was disgusting so after about 15 minutes there's no way I could give a talk like that so I said let's all meditate so I had half an hour meditation altogether and afterwards I gave this beautiful talk Not a Cough not a sneeze really impressive people saw that wow is that possible he had a cold you know any stuff coming out of your nose you weren't sort of imagining this it's real you meditate you know because I had to sometimes we're lazy don't really do it unless you really want to unless you have to mostly so you'd sit there and just after a while the cold vanish and I gave us lovely fluent talk without any interruptions wow that's interesting this meditation actually works