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Story · Ajahn Brahm

The talk he couldn't remember

As told by Ajahn Brahm in Expectations Cause Suffering | Ajahn Brahm | 24 June 2022

1 min read

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

I remember a few Years later, Ajanchcha was still alive, but he couldn't travel, couldn't speak. I remember having this dream early in the morning of Ajancha coming in my dream and giving me this dharma talk. It was brilliant. And I remember at the time I had enough awareness. It was in a dream, but I was like a lucid dream. And I heard him giving this amazing dharma talk. And I remember at the time I said, "He's got a stroke. You know, this is so rare. It's just so precious. I must remember it. I was trying so hard to remember everything he said and when I woke up as the talk ended, you just woke up and then I couldn't remember a thing. That was so disappointing. That would have been amazing just almost like getting a sort of mind-to- mind dam talk from Ajancha when he was had a stroke and couldn't speak. He was alive but just not communicate communicating. I couldn't remember a thing. That was just one of the most disappointing mornings of my life.

▶ Watch Ajahn Brahm tell it from 1:07:40 (to 1:08:46)

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

Years after his teacher's stroke, Ajahn Brahm dreamed Ajahn Chah gave him a brilliant talk, kept telling himself to remember every word, and woke remembering nothing. One of his most disappointing mornings. Grasping can be exactly what makes things slip away. Enjoy precious moments fully; trying to keep them often spoils them.

In brief (our summary)

Years after Ajahn Chah's stroke left him unable to speak, Ajahn Brahm dreams — lucidly — that Ajahn Chah gives him a brilliant Dhamma talk. Knowing how rare and precious it is, he resolves again and again to remember every word. He wakes as it ends and can't remember a thing — one of the most disappointing mornings of his life. Later he suspects he was trying too hard.

Teaching point

Grasping to hold on can be exactly what makes us lose things.

When this story may help

Themes

Source & credit

Told by Ajahn Brahm in Expectations Cause Suffering | Ajahn Brahm | 24 June 2022 · 2022-06-24 · ▶ watch from 1:07:40 to 1:08:46 · Buddhist Society of Western Australia

1 other telling of this story

Caption notes: YouTube auto-captions (machine-punctuated); 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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