# The dentist lost the tooth relic

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-dentist-lost-the-tooth-relic
- Themes: humour, impermanence, monastery fundraising
- Life situations: dentist visits, fundraising jokes

## Synopsis (editorial 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.

## 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

## Teaching point

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

## 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.

## Source

- [The Wisdom Borne of Silence | Ajahn Brahm | 1 Jan 2016](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTiC0iDg-wk) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:26:38 to 1:27:13: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTiC0iDg-wk&t=5198s