# The monk who laughed at his cancer diagnosis

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-dhammananda-laughed-at-cancer
- Themes: fear, death, cancer, equanimity
- Life situations: terminal diagnosis, cancer diagnosis, fear of death

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Dr K. Sri Dhammananda, the 'chief priest of Malaysia' and author of 'How to Live Without Fear and Worry', was, his doctor said, the only patient he ever met who burst out laughing on being told he had terminal cancer.

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

One of the monks who has been here before, but he died maybe about a year ago. He was the - we used to call him the chief priest of Malaysia, Dr K. Sri Dhammananda. He has got a few books in our library, like How to Live Without Fear and Worry is one of his famous ones. It's easier to write a book, isn't it? But can you do it? When he was diagnosed with cancer, terminal cancer, his doctor said he's the only person he ever met who, when he was diagnosed with terminal cancer, burst out laughing. Now, that's a monk!

## Teaching point

Fearlessness is shown not in writing the book but in living it when the bad news comes.

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

He wrote a book on living without fear and worry, and when the diagnosis came, he lived it: his doctor had never seen a patient laugh at such news. Few of us could do that, and nobody has to. But even frightening news usually has a positive side, and looking for it takes some fear away. This is not medical advice.

## Source

- [Letting Go of Fear | Ajahn Brahm | 22-05-2009](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7rFsrdtMM8) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 28:09 to 28:56: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7rFsrdtMM8&t=1689s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Loving our sufferings | Ajahn Brahm | 30 Nov 2012](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uo9-6qQ9tyI) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 51:31 to 51:54: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uo9-6qQ9tyI&t=3091s
- [Does Life Suck? | Ajahn Brahm | 1-05-2009](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSIEN0pZkxE) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 26:37 to 26:58: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSIEN0pZkxE&t=1597s
- [Get Real | Ajahn Brahm | 12-06-2009](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1o51NPCk-U) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 55:10 to 55:44: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1o51NPCk-U&t=3310s
- [Finding Positivity in People | Ajahn Brahm | 22 March 2019](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HqPMVOML58) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 33:31 to 34:13: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HqPMVOML58&t=2011s
- [New Year's Eve Dhamma Talk | Ajahn Brahm | 31 Dec 2016](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PBgsESgFoI) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 30:40 to 31:20: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PBgsESgFoI&t=1840s
- [Mencintai Penderitaan Kita Sendiri | Ajahn Brahm | 30 Nov 2012](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiGZvMANUgY) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 51:32 to 51:58: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiGZvMANUgY&t=3092s