Being Mindful Stories

Story · Ajahn Brahm

The duck that tried to nest in his afro

As told by Ajahn Brahm in Finding Stillness | Ajahn Brahm | 5 July 2019

1 min read

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

Somebody pulling my hair." It was a big f like, you know, my icon at that time was Jimmyi Hendris. I I have changed a lot since that time. Like a big afro hair hairstyle. That's what I had. 60s or 70s. And someone was putting my hair and I turned around. You know what it was? A duck. True. This duck saw my hair. That's really good nesting material

▶ Watch Ajahn Brahm tell it from 8:43 (to 9:11)

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

Back when he wore a big Hendrix-style afro, Ajahn Brahm napped in a London park and felt a tug: a duck was collecting nesting material. Parks were too busy anyway, so he found quiet corners of Westminster Abbey instead. Everyone needs a hideaway of silence. Find yours, wherever it is.

In brief (our summary)

Young Brahm with a big curly Hendrix-style afro lies down in a London park; something tugs his hair — a duck harvesting nesting material.

Teaching point

Even a park nap can become a wildlife encounter when your hair looks like nest lining.

When this story may help

  • seeking quiet in a city
  • embarrassing moments

Themes

Source & credit

Told by Ajahn Brahm in Finding Stillness | Ajahn Brahm | 5 July 2019 · 2019-07-05 · ▶ watch from 8:43 to 9:11 · Buddhist Society of Western Australia

Caption notes: YouTube auto-captions with machine-added punctuation; words left exactly as captioned. 'Jimmyi Hendris' = Jimi Hendrix; 'putting my hair' = pulling.

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

  • “A question for Mr. Monk”

    In brief: Arriving late at a Perth radio studio after a Friday talk, Ajahn Brahm only learns once on air that he is co-hosting a two-hour…

    Read full story

    that sort of show I went on, on radio, on 6PR I think it was, and it was a show on adult themes, 10 to 12 p.m. people actually ringing up with sexual dysfunctions, problems in marriage. Imagine asking a celibate monk about that. But I was confident. I didn't know what I was talking about, but I was confident.

    Open story page·Watch this telling

  • Two hours on Bunbury beach

    In brief: With a free afternoon before teaching at Bunbury prison, Ajahn Brahm meditates for two hours, eyes closed, on a deserted stretch of beach.…

    Read full story

    there was one time when I did go to sit quietly on a beach and that was a time when I sat on Bumbbury Beach. I had a free afternoon before going to the prison to teach. And when I was sitting on that beach, it was an abandoned part of the beach. There's no one there at all. Just me and the waves. And I sat there. It's peaceful. So I sat there for two hours, eyes closed, going nice and deeply inside. And when I opened my eyes, what I saw shocked me. It was only two hours. I opened my eyes and I saw on my left was a 17-year-old young woman in a bikini, a blonde, young, pretty. She was just sitting right next to me on one side. On the other side, there was a brunette also in a bikini. 17year-old sitting on this side. Honestly, you can't make these situations up. And I thought, what happened? And how did I know it was 17year-old? Because they told me that they had just finished the last exam at school, the year 12s. And that's usually 17 year olds take those. The last exams, the school was just opposite side of the road. But when I went and sat there, they was just still doing their exams. So, it was nice and quiet. And then afterwards, they came out in their bthers. The guys were there as well. And they were just enjoying last exam is over. Let's go to the beach and just enjoy ourselves. And they saw this monk sitting there perfectly, perfectly still. I wasn't doing anything. Just sitting quietly by myself. But that inspired them. That's why this young lady on one side and young lady on the other side and they just waiting. They said they'd be waiting for about half an hour or so for me to come out of meditation so they could ask their questions. And they were really impressed that I could actually sit there quietly with these two young uh I better not say was it No. Okay, I won't say that. What does that word spell? Yeah, bimbo. Oh my goodness, I'm going to get in trouble. See the next. But anyway, that's that's all they wanted. Just ask a few questions. So, I answered them and went away as soon as I could. I knew that because if anyone had a camera, honestly, how can you explain that? There's a there's a monk with these two beautiful young ladies in bikini on either side by the beach. I've never done that again. If I want to meditate for two hours, go somewhere else quieter.

    Open story page·Watch this telling

  • Zen and the Art of Shipping

    In brief: At a transport forum (about clay trucks passing the monastery) a journalist interviews Ajahn Brahm about shipping; game for anything, he…

    Read full story

    Number one was going to a a transport forum. It was in the Duxton Hotel run by Alana Mat when you know she was minister of transport at that time. and going there because we had some trouble with clay trucks past our monastery and actually going to a forum there. And while I was there, somehow or other, I stood out and so a journalist approached me, asked me what I was doing there, and then interviewed me about shipping. Now, one thing my character is un game to do anything. So, I gave her the Buddhist idea of [Applause] shipping. And of course, as usual, I was making it up as I went along. But they published that article. And the actually it wasn't a her, it was a him. I'm sorry. It was a him who published this article. And I saw him about a year later. And he came up to me and he said, "You wouldn't believe how popular the article was." It was syndicated to every shipping magazine almost in the world under the art under the title Zen and the Art of Shipping. And all his fellow journalists came up to him, not all, but many emailed him and said, "I don't know who the Ajam Brah is, but he certainly knows what he's talking about.

    Open story page·Watch this telling

  • The punk and the old man

    In brief: On a New York train a punk with multi-coloured spikes, razor-blade earrings and piercings snaps at the old man opposite: 'What are you…

    Read full story

    And I remember this story about, I think it was somewhere in New York. There was this old man sitting opposite one of these punks, just spiky hair, about 20 different colours, and razor blades coming from his ears. His clothes were just really multi-coloured, you really need a pair of sunglasses to look at him. And there were just piercings all over his face. And then there's a guy opposite him, you can't help, he's right in front, you have to look at him. And so the punk shouted out, 'what are you looking at old man?' And he said, oh, just you, Didn't you ever do anything a bit outrageous when you were young? Oh yes, I did. When I was in the Navy, I had sex with a parrot, I thought you might be my son.

    Open story page·Watch this telling

All stories·Find a story for your situation