# Grandma's chips, any time

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-grandma-chips-any-time
- Themes: unconditional love, grandparents, what matters
- Life situations: remembering grandparents, grief, thinking about what matters, eulogies

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Young Ajahn Brahm could visit his grandmother any time of day or night and she'd cook him chips. His mother scolded her for spoiling his appetite; Grandma said if he wants chips, he gets chips. It wasn't the chips he loved — it was her unconditional love.

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

My grandma I could go at any time of the day or night and she'd always cook me some chips. English. Okay. My mother would tell her off, you know, you know your my son is he won't eat his meal. It's bad for himself. And grandma said no. If he wants chips, he gets chips any time of the day. It wasn't the chips which I loved. It was just her unconditional love.

## Teaching point

What matters in a life — what eulogies remember — is love and kindness, not wealth.

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

Whenever young Ajahn Brahm visited, his grandmother cooked him chips, any hour, though his mother scolded her for spoiling his dinner. It wasn't the chips he loved; it was her unconditional love. That's what we remember when someone dies. Tell your family today how much they mean to you.

## Source

- [One Life, Many Lives | by Ajahn Brahm | 13-01-2012](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeKFsGSEi94) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 39:01 to 39:32: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeKFsGSEi94&t=2341s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Forms of Love In Buddhism | Ajahn Brahm | 26-11-2010](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvo5G0WbWSs) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 41:51 to 42:20: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvo5G0WbWSs&t=2511s
- [How To Be A Happy Hermit | Ajahn Brahm | 15-01-2010](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wx7n5CpmWRM) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 46:22 to 46:53: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wx7n5CpmWRM&t=2782s
- [Just Praise | Ajahn Brahm | 18-11-2011](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWpaj3Ptzic) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 35:29 to 36:03: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWpaj3Ptzic&t=2129s
- [A Buddhist's Valentine | Ajahn Brahm | 14-02-2014](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4RusDxPXmw) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 21:20 to 21:43: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4RusDxPXmw&t=1280s