# How to hold a glass of water still

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Analogy
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-glass-of-water-put-it-down
- Themes: meditation, letting go, effort, stillness
- Life situations: struggling to meditate, trying too hard, restless mind

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Demonstration simile: however hard you try to hold a glass of water still, it trembles, and more willpower makes it shake more. The easy way is to put it down. At first the water moves even more; wait, and it becomes far stiller than any hand can hold it. Meditation is like that: be the observer, not the doer.

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

How do you hold a glass of water still? Put it down, yeah. Once you put that glass of water down, actually it moves more at first. But after a few seconds you find that - those in the front row can see that - it's much more still than I could ever hold it.

## Teaching point

Stillness comes from letting go, not from willpower; you get out of the way and meditation happens.

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

Try to hold a glass of water perfectly still and it trembles; the harder you try, the worse it gets. Put it down, wait a moment, and it becomes stiller than any hand could manage. Meditation works the same way. You can't force peace. Get out of the way, watch, and it happens.

## Source

- [Buddhism and Sects | Ajahn Brahm | 01-06-2007](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owq_ougaikU) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 30:50 to 31:10: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owq_ougaikU&t=1850s

Other tellings of this story:

- [The Simile of the Cup by Ajahn Brahm](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nd0haCapIpE) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 0:35 to 2:01: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nd0haCapIpE&t=35s
- [The Power of Mindfulness & Compassion | by Ajahn Brahm](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkKF9fWXHmY) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 52:38 to 53:55: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkKF9fWXHmY&t=3158s
- [1. Relaxing the Body & Mind - Ajahn Brahm](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUMEd3bWVIM) (BSWA Retreats 2011-15 & Media) — watch from 20:24 to 22:38: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUMEd3bWVIM&t=1224s
- [2. Letting Go in Meditation - Ajahn Brahm](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lk3jZskZU6c) (BSWA Retreats 2011-15 & Media) — watch from 30:14 to 32:16: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lk3jZskZU6c&t=1814s
- [Guided Meditation Class | Ajahn Brahm | 3 Dec 2016](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4F5DUSfFOhg) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 6:21 to 7:42: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4F5DUSfFOhg&t=381s
- [A Buddhist Guide To Making Difficult Ethical Decisions | Ajahn Brahm | 9 Dec 2016](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VX2S29J7s0I) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 23:14 to 24:25: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VX2S29J7s0I&t=1394s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 16 April 2016](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWsFhSSTF7Q) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:04:50 to 1:05:20: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWsFhSSTF7Q&t=3890s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 1 December 2018](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQPWbdvHId0) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 2:11 to 3:51: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQPWbdvHId0&t=131s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 3 November 2018](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlpuLGdf3i0) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 6:13 to 6:47: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlpuLGdf3i0&t=373s
- [Meditation - 18-04-2015 | with Ajahn Brahm](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHxhMO37H1c) (DhammalokaMeditation) — watch from 5:34 to 5:50: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHxhMO37H1c&t=334s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 30 June 2018](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jT3Ii7rEP8) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 6:04 to 6:30: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jT3Ii7rEP8&t=364s
- [1. Happy To Be Here - November 2011](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jybf_72fzxQ) (BSWA Retreats 2011-15 & Media) — watch from 15:03 to 15:48: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jybf_72fzxQ&t=903s
- [5 Noble Truth Meditations](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7Gd2g7batw) (BSWA Retreats 2011-15 & Media) — watch from 9:23 to 9:53: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7Gd2g7batw&t=563s
- [2023 April (1/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98nirVZgiG4) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 40:56 to 42:52: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98nirVZgiG4&t=2456s