# The medium who named Auntie Opal's husband

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-aunt-opal-medium-donald
- Themes: family, marriage, the unexplained
- Life situations: looking for a partner, curiosity about psychics

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Just after WWII, Ajahn Brahm's mother and his aunt Opal, close as sisters, visit a medium for fun. The medium tells Opal she will soon meet her husband — first name Donald, surname Wolfries, a very uncommon name. They think it's rubbish. About a week later at a dance a nice young man asks Opal to dance: his name is Donald, surname Wolf[ries]. They were married sixty years. Ajahn Brahm checked it with both his mother and his aunt: yes, it really happened.

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

I can tell this other real story. This is a true story because this is family. I asked my mother while she was still alive and asked my auntie who actually is still alive. She's in her 90s now. Did this really happen? Yeah, it did. And this is like your own mother and your auntie. They grew up as almost like sisters. And because uh when they were still just after the Second World War, they were young and they were looking for partners in life. So my auntie and my mom, they went together to this dark no to this medium, you know, just for for fun, just to see what was going on. And this medium took one look at my auntie and her name was Opal and said, "You are soon going to meet your husband." Now, if somebody says that to you, you know, think, "Oh, the guy's crazy." Or was a woman meet him? I'm not sure. But anyway, oh yeah. And he said and his name will be first name Donald surname Wolfries. Now Donald was not a uncommon name but Wolfries a surname was really uncommon. So I said what did you think about when it was rubbish you know stupid but it was no good fun. But then about a week later she met this and I asked her what happened. So, I met this nice guy at a dance. That's what they used to do in those days. And you know, he asked me for a dance. I said, "Yes." And said, "What's your name?" And he said, "Donald." Uh-oh. Surname was wolf. They were married 60 years.

## Teaching point

Some things — like this prediction — have no easy explanation.

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

A medium told Auntie Opal she would soon marry a man called Donald, with a rare surname; a week later he asked her to dance, and they were married sixty years. Ajahn Brahm checked it with both sisters and simply admits he doesn't know how. Not everything needs explaining. Some things you can just enjoy.

## Source

- [The Nature of Your Mind | Ajahn Brahm | 8 May 2020](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilmc6aO6ElM) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:06:28 to 1:08:16: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilmc6aO6ElM&t=3988s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Buddhism and Ghosts | Ajahn Brahm | 10 March 2023](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9fga9-6vFM) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:52 to 5:15: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9fga9-6vFM&t=112s
- [Past Life Personality | Ajahn Brahm | 26 January 2018](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNlm0UmrcZ8) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 33:37 to 35:33: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNlm0UmrcZ8&t=2017s
- [Ghosts and Kindness | Ajahn Brahm | 27 March 2026](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9ahEEsf5cM) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:18:57 to 1:19:36: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9ahEEsf5cM&t=4737s