# The cold that vanished mid-talk

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-canberra-cold-meditated-away
- Themes: meditation, health, humour, teaching
- Life situations: illness, public speaking, stress

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

On his first visit to Canberra, his hosts take Ajahn Brahm everywhere all day in the cold, getting lost, with no rest. By evening he has a terrible cold, and at a big public talk in a temple he sneezes and coughs every other sentence. After 15 minutes he gives up and has everyone meditate for half an hour. Afterwards he gives a fluent talk without a single cough or sneeze — the cold has vanished.

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

first time I went to Canberra to give a series of talks and to my house they took me all over the place all day and they got lost and it was one of these days no rest and just from early in the morning it was really cold so by the end of the day I had this terrible cold and I was supposed to give a talk public talk in a big Temple advertised all these people came and as soon as I started trying to give a talk every other sentence I'd sneeze and cough and stuff was coming out of my nose ears everywhere it was disgusting so after about 15 minutes there's no way I could give a talk like that so I said let's all meditate so I had half an hour meditation altogether and afterwards I gave this beautiful talk Not a Cough not a sneeze really impressive people saw that wow is that possible he had a cold you know any stuff coming out of your nose you weren't sort of imagining this it's real you meditate you know because I had to sometimes we're lazy don't really do it unless you really want to unless you have to mostly so you'd sit there and just after a while the cold vanish and I gave us lovely fluent talk without any interruptions wow that's interesting this meditation actually works

## Teaching point

Deep relaxation in meditation can ease pain and illness.

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

Exhausted and streaming with a cold, Ajahn Brahm gave up coughing through his Canberra talk and had everyone meditate for half an hour. Afterwards he spoke fluently, without a sneeze. One story, not a cure. But deep rest really does help the body cope with pain and illness. Let yourself relax completely.

## Source

- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 7 Nov 2015](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27YDJMe9OP8) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:05:14 to 1:06:33: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27YDJMe9OP8&t=3914s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Transcendence | Ajahn Brahm | 30 April 2021](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-l903MO8kgY) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 24:33 to 27:22: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-l903MO8kgY&t=1473s
- [The Benefits of Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 13 December 2019](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5LJL6bgKO0) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 6:48 to 7:57: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5LJL6bgKO0&t=408s
- [Meditation 07 01 2012](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=og1YVQMYIPg) (DhammalokaMeditation) — watch from 1:05:19 to 1:06:26: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=og1YVQMYIPg&t=3919s