# Green velvet jeans at the Isle of Wight

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-green-velvet-jeans-isle-of-wight
- Themes: conformity, self-image, youth, humour
- Life situations: peer pressure, worrying about appearance, teenage identity

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Going to the 1970 Isle of Wight rock festival, young Ajahn Brahm wears green velvet jeans to be rebellious and individual — and finds thousands of others in green velvet jeans: just another uniform.

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

remember going to the the Isle of Wight rock festival 1970 So the famous rock festival and I had to be cool, so I had green velvet jeans When I went down there I found I thought I was being rebellious, I thought I was being individual I thought I was just just rebelling against convention setting a new style And when I went down there I found thousands of other people had green velvet jeans It is another type of uniform

## Teaching point

Trying to fit in, even through 'rebellion', is worrying about others' opinions; real attractiveness is being relaxed and at ease.

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

He wore green velvet jeans to stand out at the 1970 Isle of Wight festival and found thousands of others in exactly the same jeans. Rebelling to impress is still worrying about what people think. What really draws people is someone relaxed and at ease with themselves. Wear what you like, then forget about it and enjoy the music.

## Source

- [Stress - Overreaction to Life | Ajahn Brahm | 9 March 2018](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEpeaWywKi4) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 36:16 to 36:58: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEpeaWywKi4&t=2176s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Control and Freedom | Ajahn Brahm | 05-01-2007](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKxKGFw6B68) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 6:00 to 6:56: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKxKGFw6B68&t=360s
- [Destiny, fate or free will? | Ajahn Brahm | 22-02-2015](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThfJtP9w3fI) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 17:52 to 18:43: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThfJtP9w3fI&t=1072s
- [Celebrating Celibacy | Ajahn Brahm | 03-08-2007](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXocSGQFvmw) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 9:50 to 10:26: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXocSGQFvmw&t=590s
- [Is Buddhism a religion? | Ajahn Brahm | 5 Feb 2016](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNYz9hy5hi8) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 8:03 to 8:37: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNYz9hy5hi8&t=483s
- [Six Months of Bliss | Ajahn Brahm | 28 June 2002](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=he2DluCRWBw) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 33:25 to 33:47: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=he2DluCRWBw&t=2005s
- [Stres-reaksi berlebihan dalam hidup | Ajahn Brahm | 9 March 2018](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C30q01E1Ob4) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 36:17 to 37:04: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C30q01E1Ob4&t=2177s
- [Word of the Buddha (part 4) | Ajahn Brahm | 8 March 2020](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GylYs6JOTjg) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 50:46 to 51:26: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GylYs6JOTjg&t=3046s