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Story · Ajahn Brahm

The forest monk chased by the tiger

As told by Ajahn Brahm in Why monks don't run? | Ajahn Brahm | 23 Dec 2016

3 min read

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

many years ago there was a well I was told a story by this Mark Edge and Drew and long time ago before he died he said there was a monk who was wandering from place to place in Thailand and uh just know for Solitude for Freedom meditating and he came to one Village late in the afternoon and told the head man of the village that I just arrived you have to tell the head man so the villagers know to get some food for you the following morning for your arms around otherwise you don't eat I said I just arrived I want to meditate in the forest the jungle close by just to let you know I'll be here when arms around in the morning and that's when the head man told him well you better stay here in the village with us he said no I'm a forest monk now stay in the village there was a tiger in the vicinity in the last few days it's eaten two or three water buffaloes and even one of our kids you know it is a really dangerous this is the jungles 40 years ago very dangerous tiger but this Mark said I am not afraid of tigers show me where the tiger comes from he said I can't do that it'll kill you I said no I am a monk I have no fear really said the head man okay follow me and about a kilometer outside of the village you could see where the Tiger Trail cut through the jungle and the Mark said right here I am going to put my mosquito net and here I'm going to stay tonight I'm going to face down the tiger real Brave Monk would you be able to do that knowing there is a not a man-eating Tiger but a monkey eating tiger right there is gonna come tonight are you willing to face the the Tiger in the middle of the night so this Mark was really a tough Monk and so the head man helped him set up and then the head man went back to make sure before he got dark he didn't want to face a tiger let the monk face the Tiger and that night the Monk was meditating so peacefully so so calm in the jungle once all the shakadas stopped their their racket the jungle at night time is just so peaceful and he was meditating peacefully peacefully peacefully breathing in peace breathing out let go and that's when he started to hear that's the best I got for for sound effects not very good but we're riding on the cheap and I bought a society these days so many stuff we can't afford anything so he heard the sound of footsteps coming towards him and those four steps were there four steps of an animal so there wasn't any more breathing in peace beating out I let go he reverted to the old Thai way of meditating they used to do breathing in board breathing out oh using the name of the Buddha with the in-breath and the out breath as a protectionist to remind you to be peaceful but and the first steps got louder as the animal approached and his chanting became and as it got really close and it's got even closer he opened his eyes he couldn't resist it and he saw this massive tiger says white fangs not teeth glistening in the Moonlight is big eyes it's huge Jaws could rip anything apart even Arnold Schwarzenegger would have no chance Superman a loser in front of this tiger this was a huge monster of a tiger and as I remembered his eyes again he changed his meditation object and the next thing he knows you know sometimes we just don't know how this happened these things happen he found himself running towards the village and his his meditation was not very very um quiet now instead of doing tiger tiger tiger tiger tiger tiger tiger tiger tiger tiger has this this animal chased him to the Village

▶ Watch Ajahn Brahm tell it from 4:16 (to 9:35)

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

A brave forest monk ignored warnings and meditated on a tiger trail, until a real tiger appeared and he sprinted to the village yelling tiger, losing his robes as he ran. Resolve has limits, and that's human. Ajahn Brahm adds that when a flight attendant asked what monks wear underneath, he said: come and see for yourself.

In brief (our summary)

Ajahn Dhammindu (caption: Mark Edge and Drew) tells of a wandering Thai forest monk who insists on camping on a tiger trail despite the headman's warning. Meditating peacefully he hears footsteps, chants Buddho, opens his eyes to a massive tiger — and finds himself racing for the village yelling tiger, robes falling off as he runs.

Teaching point

Even brave forest-monk resolve can end in a sprint when the tiger is real.

When this story may help

  • facing danger
  • overconfidence

Themes

Source & credit

Told by Ajahn Brahm in Why monks don't run? | Ajahn Brahm | 23 Dec 2016 · 2016-12-23 · ▶ watch from 4:16 to 9:35 · Buddhist Society of Western Australia

Caption notes: YouTube auto-captions: unpunctuated, words left exactly as captioned. 'Mark Edge and Drew' = Ajahn Dhammindu; 'arms around' = alms round; 'shakadas' = cicadas; 'Adderall' = outer robe (uttarāsaṅga).

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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