# Enlightenment by teatime

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-cambridge-vesak-blood-dries-up
- Themes: meditation, willpower, goals, humour, youth
- Life situations: forcing progress, perfectionism, starting meditation

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

At his first Vesak, with the Cambridge University Buddhist group, 18-year-old Brahm hears how the Buddha vowed under the Bodhi tree not to move even if his blood dried up and his bones turned to dust. Inspired, he goes back to his college room about 4 or 5 p.m., sits on his cushion and makes the same vow — he's busy and wants enlightenment out of the way. Used to 25–30 minutes, he reaches 40, 45: knees, back and bottom in agony. He opens his eyes: his blood hadn't dried up, he wasn't enlightened, and he couldn't stand any more.

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

I'm still a lay person, we started doing some meditation and it was the Vesak time. This was celebrating the birth enlightenment, passing away of the Buddha. And when I heard the story of the Buddha's enlightenment. What I heard was that the Buddha sat under the Bodhi tree and he made a resolution, a determination. "I'm gonna get enlightened. Right here, I'm not gonna move. Even if my blood dries up and my bones turn to dust. I'm not gonna move from this seat until ... until I get full enlightenment". Being stupid at the time I thought that was really cool. So you know what I did? I went back to my room, I put a little couple of cushions out, (Laugh) stupid young man, I was about 18 at the time (laugh) You know, 18 year old men. Any 18 year old man here? Don't admit it. Don't admit it. Come on, you're not 18 you're much older than that. I said 18 not 80. So I sat down on that cushion I made a resolution. I'm as good as the Buddha. That was in India, he didn't have an education

## Teaching point

Willpower and goals make you tense and pull you out of the present; meditation is letting go, not forcing.

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

Fired up at eighteen, Ajahn Brahm sat down in his college room vowing not to move until enlightened, to get it out of the way. Forty agonising minutes later he was unenlightened, and very glad his blood hadn't dried up. Grand vows and gritted teeth make you tense. Meditation, like much of life, works better through letting go.

## Source

- [Mindfulness and Kindfulness | Ajahn Brahm | 16 April 2021](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXQEYulMi4I) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 4:09 to 5:51: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXQEYulMi4I&t=249s

Other tellings of this story:

- [1. Being No one Going Nowhere - Ajahn Brahm](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isfuvHljSU4) (BSWA Retreats 2011-15 & Media) — watch from 5:14 to 8:21: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isfuvHljSU4&t=314s
- [Vesak and Inspiration | Ajahn Brahm | 21 May 2021](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0y85OWhID1c) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 2:23 to 3:39: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0y85OWhID1c&t=143s