Being Mindful Stories

Story · Ajahn Brahm

The dentist lost the tooth relic

As told by Ajahn Brahm in The Wisdom Borne of Silence | Ajahn Brahm | 1 Jan 2016

1 min read

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

once he really blew it because one of my teeth I think it was cracked or something had to remove it and he kept it in his surgery as a relic a possible Relic and he could have made a fortune from that if I get famous especially after I die and unfortunately he moved surgeries he moved the office and he lost it a big mistake Mr dentist

▶ Watch Ajahn Brahm tell it from 1:26:38 (to 1:27:13)

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

Ajahn Brahm's dentist kept an extracted tooth as a future relic to auction for the nuns, then lost it moving offices. Now he wants another. Ajahn Brahm plans to count his teeth on the way out. Relics don't matter. What does is learning to let go, starting by relaxing the body.

In brief (our summary)

His dentist Jake kept an extracted cracked tooth as a possible relic to auction for the nuns' monastery if Brahm became famous after death — then moved surgeries and lost it. Now Jake wants another tooth; Brahm jokes he will count them on the way out.

Teaching point

Even relics wander off — don't cling to the souvenir.

When this story may help

  • dentist visits
  • fundraising jokes

Themes

Source & credit

Told by Ajahn Brahm in The Wisdom Borne of Silence | Ajahn Brahm | 1 Jan 2016 · 2016-01-01 · ▶ watch from 1:26:38 to 1:27:13 · Buddhist Society of Western Australia

Caption notes: YouTube auto-captions: unpunctuated, words left exactly as captioned.

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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