Being Mindful Stories

Analogy · Ajahn Brahm

Wait at the crossroads for the bus

As told by Ajahn Brahm in Decisions, Decisions, Decisions | Ajahn Brahm | 9 May 2008

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

In my book “Opening the door of your heart” I said it’s like coming into the crossroads in life. Coz decisions are like crossroads. What should you do? Get married? Become a nun? Sort of go overseas? Kill yourself? I don’t know. But whatever decision you’re about to make, stop for a while, put all the information in Like coming to a crossroads, you sit down. You don’t have to go left, right, north or south. Sit down and wait for the bus. Coz in the crossroad there’s also a bus coming. And most busses have the destination written on the front. And if that’s the place you want to go, then get on that bus. If you don’t want to go to that destination, don’t get on. Coz there’s always another bus coming behind. What that means is that when there is a decision to be made, wait; learn how to put it down. You don’t have to struggle to go north, south, east or west. You can stay still and wait for the solution to arrive. And it does arrive.

▶ Watch Ajahn Brahm tell it from 38:07 (to 39:18)

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

At a crossroads you don't have to choose a road straight away. Sit down; a bus will come with its destination on the front. If it's not yours, another will follow. Ajahn Brahm finds decisions made this way turn out better and cost less sleep. Let some answers come to you.

In brief (our summary)

Simile from Opening the Door of Your Heart: a decision is like arriving at a crossroads. You don't have to go north, south, east or west — sit down and wait for the bus. Buses have their destination on the front: if it's where you want to go, get on; if not, another bus is coming.

Teaching point

You can stay still and let the solution arrive.

When this story may help

Themes

Source & credit

Told by Ajahn Brahm in Decisions, Decisions, Decisions | Ajahn Brahm | 9 May 2008 · 2008-06-19 · ▶ watch from 38:07 to 39:18 · Buddhist Society of Western Australia

1 other telling of this story

Caption notes: Manual (volunteer) captions; occasional misspellings kept as is.

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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