# When we had no hospital, people were so healthy

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-chah-disciple-hospital-made-people-sick
- Themes: health, development, Ajahn Chah, honesty, aid
- Life situations: questioning progress, healthcare anxiety

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

One of Ajahn Chah's chief disciples (interviewed in a BBC documentary; Brahm briefly confuses him with another monk who first went to see Chah) says honestly: when he was young there was no hospital and people were so healthy; now there is a hospital and so many sick people. Brahm trusts him as a window on how 'development' can invent the need it then meets.

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

And I remember this other guy. He was one of Ajahn Chah's chief disciples. And he said something which really shocked me, but you know, he was very honest. And he was actually one of the people interviewed in the BBC documentary about Ajahn Chah many years ago. He said, "When I was young, we didn't have any hospital and people were so healthy. Now we have a hospital, there's so many sick people." Now that was fascinating comment because I trusted this fellow. He was very honest. And he was putting a window sort of into the past and into the the present. He's very, very old man, but very trustworthy. He was one of these guys he first went to see Ajahn Chah. No, so that's another guy. I'm getting him mixed up. But this was a very, very honest fellow, a very good man, one of the chief disciples. So I really trust, you know, what he said there because I was there in the very early days. But it was saying that sometimes development, what we think they need, that is one of the problems with with aid, with compassion.

## Teaching point

Building what we assume people need can create the very dependence and illness we meant to cure.

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

One of Ajahn Chah's honest old disciples remarked that before the village had a hospital, people were healthy; now there's a hospital and many are sick. Ajahn Brahm isn't against medicine. His point is about assuming we know what others need. Before helping, ask and listen. Respect people's own roots and wisdom.

## Source

- [Oh What A Relief! | by Ajahn Brahm | 16-05-2013](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_3cozc023Y) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 14:18 to 15:34: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_3cozc023Y&t=858s