# The ghost that moved next door

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-dhammananda-ghost-moved-next-door
- Themes: ghosts, humour, problem-solving
- Life situations: a problem that keeps relocating

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Near Dr K. Sri Dhammananda's temple in Kuala Lumpur a haunted house is cleared by his chanting — then neighbours complain the ghost has moved next door. He ends up chanting through every house on the street so it has to leave the neighbourhood.

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

But one of the most interesting ones was not one of the ones which I did, but one which Dr. K. Sri Dhammananda in Malaysia did and told me about. Just This was in Kuala Lumpur. And very close to his temple, there was a house which had a notorious ghost in it. And they tried many ways to get rid of the ghost. Nothing was working. So they asked him to go there. He was a good monk. He did the chanting there, and the ghost left. Departed the house. It worked, sort of. But a couple of days later, the neighbors came to complain. The ghost had just moved next door. And so he said he had to go doing some chanting in all the houses in the street, every one of them. So that ghost couldn't just move next door. Had to leave the whole neighborhood.

## Teaching point

Sometimes a problem only shifts sideways until you address the whole street.

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

A revered Malaysian monk chanted a ghost out of a house; days later the neighbours complained it had moved next door, so he chanted every house on the street. Ajahn Brahm laughs, then turns to kindness. Remind people of the good they've done, as with the two bad bricks. That helps lift any being.

## Source

- [Buddhism and Ghosts | Ajahn Brahm | 10 March 2023](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9fga9-6vFM) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 34:54 to 36:03: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9fga9-6vFM&t=2094s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Resilience and Valentine's Day | Ajahn Brahm | 15 February 2019](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNjHPFixUL0) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 10:36 to 12:34: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNjHPFixUL0&t=636s
- [Demystifying Rituals | Ajahn Brahm | 20-11-2009](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8FDAtOOfVo) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 2:46 to 3:42: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8FDAtOOfVo&t=166s