# The whole household had the same dream

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-49-day-dream-departure
- Themes: death, rebirth, grief, letting go
- Life situations: death of a young person, grief, bereaved family, letting go of the dead

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

The daughter of the monastery treasurer, in her twenties, dies of cancer. Some time later he arrives at dawn: at breakfast one daughter mentioned dreaming that her dead sister came to say she had stayed long enough and was now leaving — and one by one all twelve or more people in the house said they'd had the same dream. Ajahn Brahm checks the calendar: exactly 49 days after her death.

## The story, as told by Ajahn Brahm (verbatim captions)

because this lady died in Thailand. She and her father was a treasurer of our monastery. So, uh we knew she was dying, you know, cancer. She's a very young lady in her 20ies. Tried everything to look after her, but she eventually died. So, I knew the day she died, you know, we did the funeral ceremony for her. And it was, you know, sometime later, her father came really early in the morning and he actually came to speak with me and said, "Why are you coming to the monastery so early?" And he said, "Look, I had to come. I came on the first possible vehicle because something weird happened this morning." And he said that we were having our breakfast like in Asia, sitting on the floor with all the the dishes in front of you. And there was about 12 or 13 people or 14 people in the house. And he said, "My one of my other daughters, you know, just chatting around mentioned, I said, I had a really strange dream last night. I dream my sister came to me in my dream and said that she'd spent enough time here now she was taking leave and going and at that everybody stopped eating and one by one every person in that house said they had the very same dream same dream no difference and so you know the father the head of the house came to see me and said what happened obviously she's taken leave it's time for her to go and because I knew the whole family so well and the whole circumstance dances. Straight away I looked at the calendar and it was exactly 49 days.

## Teaching point

The departed stay near those they love until released; let them go with love.

## Reflection (in the spirit of Ajahn Brahm's talk)

Seven weeks after a young woman died, a dozen people in her family's house dreamt the same thing at once: she'd stayed long enough and was leaving now. Ajahn Brahm found it was exactly 49 days. Whatever you believe, his advice is tender. Grieve, then release your loved ones with love so everyone can move on.

## Source

- [One Life, Many Lives | by Ajahn Brahm | 13-01-2012](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeKFsGSEi94) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:02:24 to 1:03:54: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeKFsGSEi94&t=3744s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Dreams And Other Things | Ajahn Brahm | 13 Mar 2009](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSePDgBXCq4) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 34:05 to 36:53: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSePDgBXCq4&t=2045s