# Ajahn Chah's broken heart

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-chah-village-girlfriend-married-off
- Themes: heartbreak, renunciation, teachers, disappointment
- Life situations: heartbreak, family disapproval of a partner, life not going to plan

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Ajahn Chah told Ajahn Brahm that as a young man he had a girlfriend in the village; they loved each other and wanted to marry, but a mother decided it was not a good match and the girl was given to a better partner. Ajahn Chah was broken-hearted, and that was one of the reasons he became a monk — life doesn't always go the way you expect.

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

he did have a girlfriend in the village and no, they loved each other. They wanted to marry and, you know, live together. But then what happened was they decided or the mother of one of them said, "No, no, this is not a good match." And they chose a better partner for this girl. So Ajan was brokenhearted. I don't know if I told you that story before. I remember him telling me that. And so that was one of the reasons why he decided to become a monk because life sometimes just doesn't go the way you expect it to.

## Teaching point

Even great teachers began from ordinary heartbreak; disappointment can be dug in and grow into wisdom.

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

As a young man, Ajahn Chah loved a village girl, but her mother married her to a better match, and his heart broke. That was one reason he became a monk. With four years of schooling, he grew wiser than Nobel laureates, Ajahn Brahm says. Heartbreak isn't the end. Dig it in and grow.

## Source

- [Growing from Difficult Times | Ajahn Brahm | 21 April 2023](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXZHG7El0lU) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 38:35 to 39:12: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXZHG7El0lU&t=2315s