# The leaf moves only because of the wind

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Analogy
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-chah-leaf-still-without-wind
- Themes: meditation, craving, stillness, Ajahn Chah
- Life situations: restless mind, learning to meditate

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Simile (from Ajahn Chah, as he tells it): Ajahn Chah would hold up his hand and wave it — not at flies — saying this is a leaf on a tree. It moves only because of the wind; when the wind stops it moves less and less until it is perfectly still, because a leaf's nature is to be still. The mind's nature is to be still; it moves only because of wanting.

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

This is a meditation teaching from Ajahn Chah, he would hold up his hand, [waves hand] this is for Liza in the United States, I'm not saying goodbye to you. He said: ‘This hand represents a leaf on a tree. And it only moves like this because it's the wind blowing. If the wind stops, the leaf still moves, but less and less and less, until it comes to a stop. Because the default position of a leaf is to be still. It's only the wind makes it move.' And Ajahn Chah said: ‘The default position of the human mind is to be still. It's the wind of wanting something makes you move.

## Teaching point

Remove the wanting and the mind settles by itself; you don't have to make it still.

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

Ajahn Chah waved his hand like a leaf. It only moves because of the wind; when the wind drops, it slowly comes to rest. The mind's natural state is stillness, and wanting is the wind. Even wanting to be still keeps it moving. Stop wanting, and peace comes by itself.

## Source

- [Dealing with addictions | by Ajahn Brahm | 19 June 2015](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9eiGPAIyK8) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 52:55 to 53:39: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9eiGPAIyK8&t=3175s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 8 July 2017](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxl1rfa6hkQ) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 2:17 to 3:00: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxl1rfa6hkQ&t=137s
- [Wanting For Nothing | by Ajahn Brahm | 02-10-2012](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JXoSyx-G-Q) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 48:50 to 49:56: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JXoSyx-G-Q&t=2930s
- [2. Letting Go in Meditation - Ajahn Brahm](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lk3jZskZU6c) (BSWA Retreats 2011-15 & Media) — watch from 1:54 to 3:01: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lk3jZskZU6c&t=114s
- [The Nature of Suffering | Ajahn Brahm | 10 February 2023](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwvMmZICc1Y) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:02:55 to 1:03:29: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwvMmZICc1Y&t=3775s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 16 May 2020](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX37UlzVMi4) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 14:23 to 14:46: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX37UlzVMi4&t=863s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 19th March 2022](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8dao55yLzk) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 7:15 to 7:54: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8dao55yLzk&t=435s
- [11 Insight Meditation](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDgDKQyV87M) (BSWA Retreats 2011-15 & Media) — watch from 14:18 to 14:39: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDgDKQyV87M&t=858s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 28 January 2023](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xDOnMjrV3A) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:07:54 to 1:08:52: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xDOnMjrV3A&t=4074s