# “Is this heavy?” — Ajahn Chah and the stick

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-chah-stick-heavy
- Themes: letting go, burden, simplicity
- Life situations: overwhelmed by responsibilities, job stress, illness worry, relationship problems, money worries

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Walking back from alms round, Ajahn Chah picks up a stick and asks the young Ajahn Brahm whether it is heavy, then throws it away: it is only heavy while you hold it.

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

The first way of letting go, it was starting off with an old experience with my teacher Ajahn Chah, a long time ago, we were walking back from alms round and a great teacher, they always find an opportunity to, sort of you know, give you some teaching, but not these teachings with so many words and big concepts just simple down-to-earth teachings which once you hear, you think "Crikey, that's really good," and you remember it, and it changes much of your life. What he did on this occasion walking back, he picked up this stick, there's forest all over the place, picked up a stick, turned around and says "Brahmavamso, is this heavy?" Is this heavy? [throws stick away] Not now. I was very careful, I didn't throw that too far, wonder what it's gonna bust. It's only heavy when you hold it. But if you let it go it's got no weight at all. Profound, simple, and unforgettable.

## Teaching point

“It's only heavy when you hold it. But if you let it go it's got no weight at all.”

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

Ajahn Chah didn't give a lecture; he picked up a stick and threw it away. A worry about a job, a diagnosis or a difficult relationship is real, but much of its weight comes from carrying it every waking minute. You can put it down for a meal or a night's sleep, and pick it up again only when there's something to do.

## Source

- [Four Ways of Letting Go | Ajahn Brahm | 09-04-2010](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USC5MJVZLy8) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 6:19 to 7:23: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USC5MJVZLy8&t=379s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Grant Yourself A Moment Of Peace | Ajahn Brahm | 19 May 2020](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhTm6Qtg_MU) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:32 to 2:00: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhTm6Qtg_MU&t=92s
- [I Don't Own My Past | by Ajahn Brahm | 03 May 2013](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcSaCfuH-GU) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:53 to 2:26: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcSaCfuH-GU&t=113s
- [Cztery sposoby na to, jak odpuścić - Ajahn Brahm [LEKTOR PL]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXR9emyoJlA) (Sasana.pl) — watch from 6:18 to 7:26: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXR9emyoJlA&t=378s