# The prankster ghost and the three leaves

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-ghost-friend-falling-leaves
- Themes: ghosts, attachment, death, humour
- Life situations: death of a friend, unexplained experiences, fear of ghosts

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Two young English friends share a house in Perth; one dies young of cancer, promising to come back and haunt his mate. Pranks follow: the shower turning cold, the lounge furniture moved into the garden; the friend's new partner, who never knew him, describes seeing him. A sceptical society member visiting for coffee hears the host ask the ghost to prove itself: three leaves fall from a pot plant, float horizontally, then drop one exactly on top of another at the table's edge. The visitor leaves at speed.

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

one of our members he's got a great Ghost Story one of his friends let's go back for earlier his friend I moved to to Australia to Perth from England two young men they were friends so they shared a house together as they shared a house there two guys you know they weren't gay or anything they're just um to uh say on R when out had a great time but one of them developed cancer very young he died but before he died he always says I'm going to come back and Haun you you know like what some young people say I'm going to come back and Haun you and apparently he did and he was you know what you call those Lans always like doing practical jokes and so the other fellow who kept the house you know his girlfriend moved in after his mate died and little things would happen like be in the shower and it would turn from the hot to cold so you turn the hot on and it' be boiling little silly things like that but he said and he's quite sure about this one day he went out to work when he came home all the furniture from the landro was in the garden and there was just silly little things but sometimes you know if it's a a mate a friend they do this little jokes on you and his wife apparently could see him his wife wife never knew him and could see this Spectre in the in the house and described he said oh yeah that's him and so they just after all I just accommodate to these people but this member of our Buddha Society I better not say who it is he went to visit his friend I don't believe in ghosts she's just making it up and he was having coffee with his friend at the time and his friend said look he's he's around I'm sure he's around and he asked his friend come and prove to this visitor that you exist there's a pot plant on the table a leaf fell off that pot plant floated horizontally and then went down on the edge of the table half on half off and the visitor said no that's just it's just a wi just [Applause] coincidence and then another Lea fell off horizontal and then went vertically down exactly on top of the second Leaf no no no no just Charles thirdly exactly the same hor is onto straight down on the edge of that Lea and our friend who comes here said I've got to go and just jumped in his bed and just put the foot on the acceler just w didn't run away H you can have nothing to be afraid of it's just ghost playing around

## Teaching point

Ghosts are beings who cannot let go of attachments; learn to let go now.

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

A friend who promised to haunt his housemate kept his word with cold showers, moved furniture and three leaves landing neatly on each other. Whatever you make of it, Ajahn Brahm's lesson is gentle. Ghosts are beings who cannot let go. Practise letting go now, of places, grudges and obsessions, and you'll be free whatever comes.

## Source

- [The Process of Rebirth | Ajahn Brahm | 03-04-2009](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWFSAFHpx_U) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 37:31 to 40:36: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWFSAFHpx_U&t=2251s