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Story · Ajahn Brahm

Stupid feet

As told by Ajahn Brahm in Courage | Ajahn Brahm | 8 Jul 2016

1 min read

The story — as told by Ajahn Brahm (verbatim captions)

as a monk with ajanta we didn't wear shoes or sandals a lot of the time and so walking through the jungles we were always stubbing our toes or piercing our souls of our feet with the the roots and other stuff in the forest we always had our our feet bandaged with so many Band-Aids saw this he said why on Earth are westerners always cutting themselves on the forest floor because they didn't wear any shoes and he said it's because you westerners have got stupid feet I never realized you could apply the word stupid to a foot but it was actually absolutely accurate always up in our head thinking about the meaning of life while we're training on thorns and stuff and and piercing our feet and making them bleed it was stupid feet

▶ Watch Ajahn Brahm tell it from 52:10 (to 53:11)

A reflection (in the spirit of Ajahn Brahm's talk)

Barefoot in the jungle, the Western monks kept stubbing toes and treading on thorns, until Ajahn Chah explained: you Westerners have stupid feet. Always up in their heads, pondering the meaning of life. Come down into your body. Feel how it really is, gently, and the truth of the mind comes more easily after that.

In brief (our summary)

In Ajahn Chah's monastery the monks went barefoot through the jungle, and the Western monks were always stubbing toes and piercing their soles on roots, their feet covered in Band-Aids. Ajahn Chah asked why the Westerners kept cutting themselves: 'Because you Westerners have got stupid feet.' Ajahn Brahm realised it was accurate — they were always up in their heads thinking about the meaning of life while treading on thorns.

Teaching point

Be aware of the body instead of living in your head; the truth of the body comes before the truth of the mind.

When this story may help

Themes

Source & credit

Told by Ajahn Brahm in Courage | Ajahn Brahm | 8 Jul 2016 · 2016-07-09 · ▶ watch from 52:10 to 53:11 · Buddhist Society of Western Australia

6 other tellings of this story

Caption notes: YouTube auto-captions: unpunctuated, words left exactly as captioned. 'ajanta' = Ajahn Chah; 'souls of our feet' = soles.

The narrative is Ajahn Brahm's own telling, quoted from the talk captions. The summary and reflection are Being Mindful Stories's editorial notes. Please credit the teacher and link the original talk. Markdown version

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