# First night at Bodhinyana, under a tree

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-first-night-bodhinyana-under-a-tree
- Themes: simplicity, monastic life, beginnings, humour
- Life situations: starting out with little, hardship

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

On his first night at the Serpentine land that became Bodhinyana, Ajahn Brahm's bed was an old door — but he couldn't find it. The batteries in his torch gave out, and after wandering around for an hour he took the blanket and pillow and slept on the ground under the nearest tree. It was really cold, but he could sleep. 'A bit of fun really.'

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

I literally spent the first night at that place under a tree on the ground I did have a a bed to sleep on which was just an old door but I couldn't find it the batteries in my torch gave out I was wandering around an hour and after hour not finding where I was supposed to be sleeping there was a blanket there and a pillow so I just found the nearest tree and slept underneath it at night that was my first time at a monastery at Bodin Monastery in Serpentine it was really cold but he could sleep it was okay it was a bit of fun really

## Teaching point

A monastery is the people and the atmosphere, not the buildings.

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

On his first night at the land that became Bodhinyana, Ajahn Brahm couldn't find his bed, an old door, in the dark, so he slept under a tree. Cold, but fun. Visitors kept asking where the monastery was. The trees and the people, he'd say. What makes any place is how people are cared for, not the buildings.

## Source

- [What path to take in life? | Ajahn Brahm | 08-02-2013](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xn47GEy51WM) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 10:33 to 11:14: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xn47GEy51WM&t=633s