# Stupid feet

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-chah-westerners-stupid-feet
- Themes: mindfulness, body awareness, humour, Ajahn Chah
- Life situations: overthinking, clumsiness, meditation

## Synopsis (editorial 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.

## 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

## 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.

## 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.

## Source

- [Courage | Ajahn Brahm | 8 Jul 2016](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKlatq90npY) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 52:10 to 53:11: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKlatq90npY&t=3130s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Real Life | Ajahn Brahm | 3 Jun 2016](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzgG2HBzVDk) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 9:02 to 9:30: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzgG2HBzVDk&t=542s
- [Friday Night Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 3 November 2023](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ay3HC7d1ts) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 3:10 to 3:28: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ay3HC7d1ts&t=190s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 25 November 2023](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQ9rQvLo_rY) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 21:03 to 21:20: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQ9rQvLo_rY&t=1263s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 3 December 2022](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-bQuKnxxX4) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 21:26 to 21:36: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-bQuKnxxX4&t=1286s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 8 February 2025](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Kb3B02G6OQ) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 15:46 to 15:59: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Kb3B02G6OQ&t=946s
- [Friday Night Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 10 February 2023](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=337vQq1sIYc) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:00 to 1:36: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=337vQq1sIYc&t=60s