# Churchill's bedside Buddha

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-churchill-buddha-statue
- Themes: peace, stress, leadership, Buddha image
- Life situations: heavy responsibility, depression, stress at work

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

An Australian monk visiting England is taken to Churchill's stately home when a castle is closed. In the entrance hall hangs a painting by Churchill of a Buddha statue; the curator explains it is of the statue that stood by his bedside every night of the Second World War. Ajahn Brahm reflects that it must have given him peace under immense pressure, and helped with his famous depression.

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

you know that um Winston Churchill the prime minister of UK during the second world war had a Buddha statue next to his bed every night of that war not a a um a crucifix but a Buddha statue we found that out once when one of our monks was visiting um England and the host wanted to take him to a castle he was Australian you know people have to see castles but the castle was closed so what else can we oh the stately home of the wartime prime minister prime minister Churchill we take you there and that was open and just apparently as you went into the entrance to that stately home where Winston Churchill lived as soon as you went in there there was a big painting because Winston church was also an artist he painted this a Buddha statue a bur star and so the monk asked the Creator you know what's this he painted a Buddha statue why and the Creator said oh this was a a painting of The Statue which was by his bedside every day during the second world war you know he broke or he lost it somewhere but he still has a painting why because imagine this if you imagine like your stress imagine being the leader of a country during that terrible terrible War just how much stress and how much pain one decision thousands of people die that's huge and he had that statue next to him because it gave him peace it gave him encouragement kindness even look at that and it would help him with his famous depression so that a fact he had a Buddha statue there

## Teaching point

A Buddha image can bring peace and encouragement, even to a wartime leader.

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

As Ajahn Brahm heard it at Chartwell, Churchill kept a Buddha statue by his bed through the war and painted it. Whatever the history, the image makes sense: under enormous pressure, a peaceful face to look at. Keep something nearby that reminds you of calm and kindness, especially on the hardest days.

## Source

- [Develop Your Heart | Ajahn Brahm | 2 Dec 2016](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqwCXGkmSy0) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 43:04 to 45:02: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqwCXGkmSy0&t=2584s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Terrorism and Peace | Ajahn Brahm | 20 Nov 2015](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_c9GDnNME8) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 9:40 to 10:33: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_c9GDnNME8&t=580s
- [Ajahn Brahm's New Year's Eve Talk | 1 Jan 2016](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1zQwOceuVk) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 19:46 to 20:50: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1zQwOceuVk&t=1186s
- [Rituals - How And Why](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHS8_D0nnOg) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 12:37 to 13:33: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHS8_D0nnOg&t=757s