# Wow, this is good, ain't it, Brahm?

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-concrete-tanks-wow-this-is-good
- Themes: silence, monastery, working class, appreciation
- Life situations: needing stillness, building community, unexpected reverence

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

The coarse Australian who single-handedly built Bodhinyana's concrete water tanks asks 'Brahm' if he can look inside the 'church'. Boots on, he only puts his head through the door — then falls silent for two minutes, comes out missing teeth in a grin: 'Wow, this is good, ain't it, Brahm?'

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

Would you mind if I have a look inside your church?" He said. You know, it don't you know, it doesn't really know it's not a church, but you know, who cares? And so I said, "Yeah, come along." So talking talking talking. Said, "I don't have to take me boots off?" Have you seen like workers boots? It would take half an hour to take those boots off. So no, no, come on. And so we went into the um the entryway and I opened the door. He he wouldn't go on the carpet with his big boots. He just put his head through to have a look. And I always remember that moment. It was it was about a couple of minutes. He was totally silent. Stopped speaking. And I just I was not going to not going to interrupt this cuz you could feel that this was really important for him. And he just went put his head inside there for 2 minutes and he came out afterwards. Just his head. He looked at me with a big no no many tooth missing smile. And he said, "Wow, this is good, ain't it, Brahm?

## Teaching point

Silence can convert a talkative worker faster than any sermon.

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

A rough-spoken builder asked to peek inside the monastery hall. He put his head through the door, fell quiet for two minutes, then emerged with a gap-toothed grin: wow, this is good, ain't it? He'd tasted silence. When you're stressed, seek out a quiet place. You don't need words to feel its power.

## Source

- [Power Of Slience | Ajahn Brahm | 11 May 2018](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzlFEqkP6vA) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 44:44 to 45:51: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzlFEqkP6vA&t=2684s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Finding Stillness | Ajahn Brahm | 5 July 2019](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uY7Fu7wEh0Y) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 11:52 to 15:46: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uY7Fu7wEh0Y&t=712s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 12 February 2022](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pERF2kbUAvM) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 2:57 to 4:31: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pERF2kbUAvM&t=177s