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Story · Ajahn Brahm

Total listening — the counsellor threw away her learning

As told by Ajahn Brahm in Total Listening | Ajahn Brahm | 29 Jun 2012

1 min read

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

counseling from this woman this woman said in her presentation that she knew the background she knew that know all the usual ways of dealing with this problem wouldn't work because they had already been tried so she decided to do this total listening when the woman came in the room this is her client the counselor just went very peaceful very quiet no thoughts throw away all of the learning which you've had before cuz that just creates more a static between the ears and she listened to this person for a few minutes as she described what was happening to her and then when it was a turn for the counsel to speak she said the words came out of her mouth

▶ Watch Ajahn Brahm tell it from 13:19 (to 14:11)

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

A counsellor with an exhausted, ill client put aside all her training and simply listened. Then words came from nowhere: it's time you played the violin again. The woman wept. As a girl, her mother had forbidden it, the start of a controlled life. Real listening can say what techniques miss. Give someone your full attention today.

In brief (our summary)

Wealthy client exhausted usual therapies; counsellor at a Buddhist conference describes going totally quiet, discarding training static, listening — then words come unbidden when it is her turn.

Teaching point

Sometimes the best technique is to throw the techniques away and listen.

When this story may help

Themes

Source & credit

Told by Ajahn Brahm in Total Listening | Ajahn Brahm | 29 Jun 2012 · 2012-07-04 · ▶ watch from 13:19 to 14:11 · Buddhist Society of Western Australia

1 other telling of this story

Caption notes: YouTube auto-captions: unpunctuated, words left exactly as captioned. 'counsel' = counsellor.

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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