# Aircraft of the future — pilot and dog

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Analogy
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-aircraft-pilot-and-dog
- Themes: meditation, letting-go, humour, analogy
- Life situations: meditation

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Airline magazine gag: future cockpit has only a pilot and a dog. Pilot's job is to feed the dog; dog's job is to bite the pilot if he touches the controls. Same with the mind — stop interfering with an automatic peaceful process.

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

aircraft of the future where in the cockpit they'd only have two beings in the cockpit, the pilot and the dog. That's all that be allowed in the cockpit. The job of the pilot, the only job he'd have would be to train or be sorry, the only job the pilot had would be to feed the dog and keep the dog happy. The only job of the dog would be to bite the pilot if he touches anything

## Teaching point

Meditation works when you stop touching the controls.

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

The cockpit of the future, an airline magazine joked, will hold a pilot and a dog. The pilot feeds the dog; the dog bites the pilot if he touches the controls. Meditation is like that. The mind settles automatically if you stop interfering. Thinking is disturbance. Make peace with this moment, step back, and watch.

## Source

- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 13 April 2019](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SMh0eTgNoU) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 11:28 to 12:04: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SMh0eTgNoU&t=688s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 9 March 2019](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tslWqVAiHxA) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:18:05 to 1:18:36: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tslWqVAiHxA&t=4685s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 29 June 2024](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vvjwy_Oyzyg) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 4:35 to 5:12: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vvjwy_Oyzyg&t=275s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 12th March 2022](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjzNflvPv8Q) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 4:00 to 4:29: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjzNflvPv8Q&t=240s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 1 May 2021](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=np5zPAELroM) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:18:48 to 1:19:18: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=np5zPAELroM&t=4728s
- [Meditation - 18-04-2015 | with Ajahn Brahm](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHxhMO37H1c) (DhammalokaMeditation) — watch from 3:22 to 3:55: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHxhMO37H1c&t=202s
- [Guided Meditaion | Ajahn Brahm | 13 December 2025](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_26rIlXMA8) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 7:08 to 7:48: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_26rIlXMA8&t=428s
- [2023 April (1/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98nirVZgiG4) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 38:51 to 39:53: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98nirVZgiG4&t=2331s