# The night they stayed in bed during the Blitz

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-blitz-couple-stayed-in-bed
- Themes: fear, resilience, war
- Life situations: fear of terrorism, chronic anxiety

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

During the London Blitz a couple who had been up night after night with the bombs, and had lost so many people they knew, heard the air-raid siren and decided: 'No, that's it. We're going to stay in our own bed tonight.' Bombs fell all around — bang, boom, all night long — and they slept deeply, woke up fine, and felt doubly good: rested, and alive.

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

I remember one story of a couple who they'd been up for so many nights with the sound of these bombs going off and many people they knew, you know, being obliterated or being very seriously injured. Thousands of people every night for months and they decided the air raid siren went off and they said, "No, that's it. We're going to stay in our own bed tonight and we're going to have a sleep." So even though there's bombs going off off all over the place, they decided, "No, we're going to stay in bed." And they had a good sleep and they woke up in the morning and they were okay. Bang, bang, bang, boom. All night long. They were so tired. What the hell? We could have asleep. And they had a beautiful deep sleep. They felt so good afterwards. You know, doubly good cuz they were alive afterwards.

## Teaching point

People can learn to live with danger; we've lost some of that resilience.

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

After night after night in shelters during the Blitz, a London couple decided to stay in their own bed, and slept deeply through the bombs. They woke rested and alive. People can grow remarkably used to danger. Ajahn Brahm feels we've lost some of that resilience. Fear needn't run your life.

## Source

- [Living Without Blame | Ajahn Brahm | 05-12-2014](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MR5c4h7Tmo0) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 30:29 to 31:20: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MR5c4h7Tmo0&t=1829s

Other tellings of this story:

- [1 Introduction to Meditation - 9 Day Jhana Grove Retreat Oct/Nov 2012](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JSo75D-aRI) (BSWA Retreats 2011-15 & Media) — watch from 4:19 to 4:49: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JSo75D-aRI&t=259s