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Story · Ajahn Brahm

Late-night Thai TV in Bangkok

As told by Ajahn Brahm in Buddhism and Sects | Ajahn Brahm | 01-06-2007

1 min read

The story — as told by Ajahn Brahm (verbatim captions)

It was very, very dodgy when I went to Bangkok all the way from Perth, getting up really early in the morning, to get to the airport, to get on the plane, I got up about 3.30 in the morning, and by the time I got to Bangkok late in the afternoon, I found out they had scheduled me for a TV interview at 10.30 p.m. I just had time for a quick shower and [went] back to the studios, which is not so bad, but it was in Thai. Sometimes you think I'm fluent in Thai, but once - here in Perth - there were some visiting Thai people and they asked for some teaching, so I taught them maybe 15 minutes of Buddhism in Thai. And afterwards they said they were so impressed. "We didn't realize that you could give a speech in Pali." [audience laughing] That wasn't Pali, that was Thai! "Oh", the Thai people said, "really?" In other words, they didn't understand a word of it - not one word. [audience laughing] And here I was on live TV, making an idiot of myself, I thought, speaking in Thai, but I did really well. There were actually two other Thai people there, two Thai monks being interviewed, one was the rector of Mahajula Lukon university Venerable Dammakosaja and he was very good, but the other fellow being interviewed was a Thai monk who was a resident in a Buddhist monastery in Oxford. And apparently, afterwards, my Thai, even though I'm a Westerner, that came across much more fluent than this Thai guy who was staying at Oxford for the last few years. [audience laughing] And I thought "How can that be?" Well, I was from Cambridge and he was from Oxford. Cambridge is always supreme.

▶ Watch Ajahn Brahm tell it from 36:49 (to 38:40)

A reflection (in the spirit of Ajahn Brahm's talk)

Up since half past three and flying all day, Ajahn Brahm then gave a live Thai TV interview at half past ten at night, and spoke better than the Oxford-based guest; Cambridge always wins, he jokes. Even exhausting moments hold something to learn. Don't wish them away. That's a lot of life to lose.

In brief (our summary)

After flying Perth–Bangkok from a 3.30 a.m. start, Ajahn Brahm is scheduled for a 10.30 p.m. live Thai TV interview. Nested: the Perth Thai talk hearers thought was Pali. On air he is more fluent than a Thai monk resident in Oxford; he jokes that he is from Cambridge and Cambridge is always supreme.

Teaching point

Seeing even exhaustion and difficulty as 'Buddha nature' — an opportunity — lets you meet them fully.

When this story may help

Themes

Source & credit

Told by Ajahn Brahm in Buddhism and Sects | Ajahn Brahm | 01-06-2007 · 2007-06-05 · ▶ watch from 36:49 to 38:40 · Buddhist Society of Western Australia

Caption notes: Manual (volunteer) captions; occasional misspellings kept as is.

The narrative is Ajahn Brahm's own telling, quoted from the talk captions. The summary and reflection are Being Mindful Stories's editorial notes. Please credit the teacher and link the original talk. Markdown version

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