# Can I have a pineapple, please?

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-chah-pineapple-for-soap
- Themes: mistakes, humour, language, Ajahn Chah
- Life situations: learning a language, living in another culture, making mistakes

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

At poor Wat Pah Pong, requisites were kept in a big water jar and you asked Ajahn Chah for what you needed. Needing soap, the new monk asks in his halting Thai — but mixes up the words for soap and pineapple. 'What do you want the pineapple for?' asks Ajahn Chah kindly. 'To wash!' Ajahn Chah never let him forget it: in England they don't use soap like us — they're far more advanced, they use pineapples.

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

And of course, you know, the first time I learnt the Thai language, many of the Thai people know this story. That very early days in Thailand, all the monasteries were very poor. Wat Pah Pong where Ajahn Chah lived when I first went was really poor. So whenever you got anything, they had a big water jar. And you just put those things in the water jar, maybe toothpaste or toothbrushes, or anything you needed, like a towel. And so if you needed something, you just go and ask Ajahn Chah and say, "I need some toothpaste" and he just look inside there and said, "There is some. " and just give it to you. So this time I needed some soap, obviously you know to wash. But you had to ask in Thai so you know my Thai was not that good. So, the word for "soap" is S̄bū̀, not "S̄ạbpard". It's hardly any differences there, "S̄ạbpard" ,"S̄bū̀" but apparently "S̄ạbpard" means pineapple. So, I asked my great master, "Can I have a pineapple, please?" [laughter] And he said to me, he's very kind, he said, "What do you want the pineapple for?" I said, "To wash!" He never let me forget that. He said, "Oh, you know people in England, you know, they don't use soap like us. They are far more advanced, they use pineapples. [laughter] This Western culture is way ahead of ours."

## Teaching point

Mistakes are a source of laughter and learning, not shame.

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

The new Western monk asked Ajahn Chah for soap, mixed up the Thai words, and asked for a pineapple to wash with. Ajahn Chah never let him forget it: the English are so advanced, they wash with pineapples. Our mistakes bring laughter and lessons. Why be ashamed of them? Let them become good stories.

## Source

- [The Fault Finding Mind | Ajahn Brahm | 7 May 2021](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bekYLQ5buRQ) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 41:03 to 43:04: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bekYLQ5buRQ&t=2463s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Having Positive Attitudes towards Everybody | Ajahn Brahm | 12 March 2021](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsIU4DM27nQ) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 57:32 to 58:38: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsIU4DM27nQ&t=3452s
- [Emotional Intelligence and Acceptance | Ajahn Brahm | 19 May 2023](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejSaOOQ3VrY) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 20:30 to 22:15: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejSaOOQ3VrY&t=1230s
- [Living Without Blame | Ajahn Brahm | 05-12-2014](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MR5c4h7Tmo0) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 21:29 to 22:03: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MR5c4h7Tmo0&t=1289s
- [Real Happiness | Ajahn Brahm | 22 November 2024](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKpp1Z-6kA0) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:02:39 to 1:03:30: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKpp1Z-6kA0&t=3759s
- [New Year's Eve Dhamma Talk | Ajahn Brahm | 31 December 2018](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EM-MDJW2lCQ) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 9:43 to 10:24: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EM-MDJW2lCQ&t=583s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 7 February 2026](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pU5c9FkL1hM) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:07:12 to 1:08:11: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pU5c9FkL1hM&t=4032s
- [Ajahn Brahm's 72nd Birthday Party & Auction | 6 August 2023](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPYv_E8B8io) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 55:01 to 55:32: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPYv_E8B8io&t=3301s