# 'Have you got any brains?'

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-butcher-have-you-got-any-brains
- Themes: communication, humour, misunderstanding
- Life situations: awkward moments, misunderstandings

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

The wife of Keith, an early Buddhist Society member, found a recipe calling for lamb's brains and went to the butcher. At the counter she looked at the man and asked, 'Have you got any brains?' He was offended. 'I want brains for the stew,' she explained — 'I don't mean to offend you.' When she told Ajahn Brahm, he burst out laughing.

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

his wife told me that, you know, she was looking in the cookery book and that she needed found a recipe which had I think it was um lamb's brains as part of the the recipe. She thought she'd try that on her husband. And so she went to the the the shop, butcher shop, went up to the counter, looked at the guy and said, "Have you got any brains? And the the person selling the meat got offended. I want brains for the stew or whatever I'm cooking. I don't mean to offend you, but how many? She told me the story and I burst out laughing.

## Teaching point

Slips of the tongue are human; don't take offence where none was meant.

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

Shopping for a recipe, a woman asked the butcher, 'Have you got any brains?', and he took offence. She only wanted lamb's brains for the stew. Ajahn Brahm laughed till he cried. We all trip over our words. Don't take offence where none was meant, and forgive your own slips too.

## Source

- [Living Without Blame | Ajahn Brahm | 05-12-2014](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MR5c4h7Tmo0) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 23:29 to 24:21: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MR5c4h7Tmo0&t=1409s