# I could only see the names of the stars

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-astronomical-society-star-names
- Themes: thinking, silence, nature, university
- Life situations: overthinking, losing wonder

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

In the Cambridge Astronomical Society he learns the names of stars and constellations. In Thailand the night sky is so labelled in his mind that he cannot see its beauty — only little name-tags. It takes years of deliberately forgetting the names before he can enjoy the stars again.

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

when I was at University there was many societies I joined and one was the Astronomical Society always love stuff like that and I had learned the names of the stars and the constellations that you know whether it was a Galaxy or supernova or I knew all those words and when I went to Thailand and I saw the sky at night I couldn't see the Stars anymore all I could see were the names and everyone else was saying how beautiful it was and I couldn't see the beauty all I could see was like little labels next to every Star and it took me years you know I had to do this deliberately to forget the names to an act of it was an act of will so now I can look at the stars at night I don't know which one is which and I can see how beautiful they are

## Teaching point

Names and thoughts can hide the thing itself; silence lets beauty show.

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

Young Ajahn Brahm learnt every star's name at Cambridge; later, under a Thai sky, he saw only labels. It took years of deliberate forgetting to see their beauty again. Names and thoughts can hide the very thing they describe. Put the labels down for a while and simply look.

## Source

- [3 Overcoming thinking - Ajahn Brahm](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlB3uksRV8M) (BSWA Retreats 2011-15 & Media) — watch from 20:41 to 21:41: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlB3uksRV8M&t=1241s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Power Of Slience | Ajahn Brahm | 11 May 2018](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzlFEqkP6vA) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 40:38 to 41:08: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzlFEqkP6vA&t=2438s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 23 February 2019](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmWPROLtGKY) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:03:16 to 1:04:00: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmWPROLtGKY&t=3796s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 15 February 2025](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVOHNAJZVwE) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 6:20 to 7:23: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVOHNAJZVwE&t=380s
- [3 Establishing Mindfulness & Feedback November 2012](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ukgveU3Ej8) (BSWA Retreats 2011-15 & Media) — watch from 16:30 to 16:47: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ukgveU3Ej8&t=990s
- [Word of the Buddha (Part 10) | Ajahn Brahm | 14 January 2024](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjPefO1w0sw) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 52:03 to 52:23: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjPefO1w0sw&t=3123s