First five-minute meditation, 1969

Related stories

• She sat all night in the stupa

  In brief: On a Hong Kong and Indonesian retreat, a woman begins sitting on the stupa floor in the evening and is still there in the morning. Others…

  Read full story▾▴

  this lady she started she was in the evening she started meditating on the floor of the stupa. And she just carried on all night. And then other people saw her. It was cold so they put a blanket around her. She never responded. And they know that you're meditating I describe these things to them or they knew exactly what was happening what to do. But then they came in the morning they said they shouted at her come on it's time to go for breakfast we're leaving today we've got a big ceremony first. And she didn't respond. So I told them don't call any ambulance just go back there and instead of shouting at her tell her very softly and very kindly Ajahn Brahm asked you to come to the main hall. Just once. And about half an hour later she appeared in the main hall and said you asked me to come here. I said yes. You know we've got to get ready to actually to go today. And so do you want a breakfast? She said no. Listen I said can I carry on meditating

  Open story page·Watch this telling

• The most beautiful thing in the toilet bowl

  In brief: On one retreat Ajahn Brahm's mind is so still and full of energy that everything looks beautiful. After going to the toilet he glances…

  Read full story▾▴

  And that was the story of when This is really over the top, but it's beautiful. That when during one retreat, I was getting some very very deep meditation. My mind was just so still and peaceful and just so much energy that whatever you saw was just so beautiful and joyful. That's just the nature of things. You're so still, you see so much more. And I am a human being, just everybody has to do the same. I had to go to the toilet. And after going to the toilet, I just happened to glance into the bowl to see its contents. Wow. That is so beautiful. I'd never in my whole life seen such a beautiful piece of The browns, they're not just one brown. Next time you go, have a look. It's not just one brown. It's all different shades of brown. And just the way they are just arranged together like some Picasso. And the way it's just covered with this beautiful film of, you know, a little bit of mucus and water. And it shines like a diamond, you know, in the sunshine. It was sparkling. And the fragrance, my goodness. It always makes people laugh. But that's actually a true story. If you'd have been there in the cubicle next to me, you'd probably call for the guys in the white coats to take this crazy bug cuz I was really getting off on this beautiful piece of turd. And the reason why cuz my mind had opened up, and it was beautiful. You know, it was one of the hardest things I did, but I'm used to letting go. Press the button and see it fall away. I wanted to take it out, take it home with me.

  Open story page·Watch this telling

• Parachute the monks into Syria

  In brief: Someone told Ajahn Brahm about an episode of the ABC's Q&A on violence in the Middle East. Asked for a solution, a panellist — the editor…

  Read full story▾▴

  apparently somebody saw this on Q a the Q a TV program on a Monday night I've never seen that but every now and again people actually hear something on that program and this was say uh a program about the problems in the Middle East and the wars and the terrorism stuff going on there and they had one of the presenters there was the editor of The Spectator magazine a very influential magazine in uh in England and they asked her what was his solution or give some advice try and stop the violence in the Middle East in Syria and Iraq and all the bombings and stuff which go on and he said he quoted there had been a study done in Sussex University in the UK though when people were meditating even for seven minutes they said everybody in the vicinity also calmed down and became peaceful unless fighter less aggressive just actually the a few people meditating had calmed everybody else down so this guy on TV on ABC said his solution was getting a few Buddhist monks and parachuting them into Syria

  Open story page·Watch this telling

• The preceptor's snake in the lap

  In brief: Ajahn Brahm's preceptor, later acting Sangharaja of Thailand, came out of deep meditation in a Koh Samui coconut grove to find a snake…

  Read full story▾▴

  he would meditate in a coconut grove. And he said once he had a nice deep meditation in the coconut grove and that when he came out of the meditation he saw a snake coiled up in his lap. Now, what would you feel if you came out of meditation at 8:00 and you find a big snake had been caught up in your lap? How would you react? And this monk, he was was my preceptor and he became the acting sangaraju of Thailand with lots of responsibility. And this coconut grove was in in the island of Got Samoy when that was not a famous place where tourists went to. That was his his hometown in there. But he said the amazing thing was he was so peaceful when he came out and opened his eyes. He saw the the snake in his lap called up very happy and he had no fear at all. And that was really surprising to him. He thought how can this happen? No fear. And of course he just watched the snake for about 10 or 15 minutes and then the snake just uncoiled and just slithered away with you can imagine gratitude simply because he had no fear.

  Open story page·Watch this telling