Stories for trying too hard
4 Buddhist wisdom stories for trying too hard from Buddhist teachers, each linked to the original talk.
- How to hold a glass of water stillAnalogy · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Demonstration simile: however hard you try to hold a glass of water still, it trembles, and more willpower makes it shake more. The easy way is to put it down. At first the water…
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How do you hold a glass of water still? Put it down, yeah. Once you put that glass of water down, actually it moves more at first. But after a few seconds you find that - those in the front row can see that - it's much more still than I could ever hold it.
- Joke: four monks with a vow of silenceJoke · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Four monks take a vow of silence. One sneezes. The first says, 'Bless you.' The second says, 'You've just broken your vow of silence.' The third says, 'Ha ha, so have you.' The…
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there was four monks with a vow of silence one monk sneezed the first monk said bless you second monk said you've just broken your vow of silence the third one said haha so have you fourth one said I'm glad I'm the only one here who can keep quiet
- The talk he couldn't rememberStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Years after Ajahn Chah's stroke left him unable to speak, Ajahn Brahm dreams — lucidly — that Ajahn Chah gives him a brilliant Dhamma talk. Knowing how rare and precious it is,…
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I remember a few Years later, Ajanchcha was still alive, but he couldn't travel, couldn't speak. I remember having this dream early in the morning of Ajancha coming in my dream and giving me this dharma talk. It was brilliant. And I remember at the time I had enough awareness. It was in a dream, but I was like a lucid dream. And I heard him giving this amazing dharma talk. And I remember at the time I said, "He's got a stroke. You know, this is so rare. It's just so precious. I must remember it. I was trying so hard to remember everything he said and when I woke up as the talk ended, you just woke up and then I couldn't remember a thing. That was so disappointing. That would have been amazing just almost like getting a sort of mind-to- mind dam talk from Ajancha when he was had a stroke and couldn't speak. He was alive but just not communicate communicating. I couldn't remember a thing. That was just one of the most disappointing mornings of my life.
- Too comfortable to waste on sleepStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Once Ajahn Brahm lay in bed unable to sleep — probably too much tea — worrying he wouldn't get to sleep in time. Then he thought: I spend so much time cross-legged talking to…
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difficulty getting asleep but I know it's too much tea or coffee probably but everytime I decided yeah I'm gonna fall asleep I really want to fall asleep I really have to fall asleep I'm gonna get up early in the morning I've got to give a talk I've got to do this if I don't fall asleep I'm gonna be in big trouble and of course the anxiety kept you awake so instead what I thought as a mark especially my bed is the most comfortable place in the whole world number one no one asked me any questions I'm quiet and you're really comfortably are your beds comfortable nice and cozy crane why do you want to waste that beautiful experience by going to sleep so lay down it's just so nice who wants to go and sleep this is just so cozy and nice I just really want to enjoy this I don't want to go to sea I just want to enjoy the comfort and coziness