# The man paid to irritate everyone

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-gurdjieff-paid-the-irritant
- Themes: irritation, spiritual growth, patience, community
- Life situations: difficult housemates, annoying colleagues, community life

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

From an early book on spirituality: in Gurdjieff's community in France one man was a pain in the neck to everyone, and members kept asking for him to be let go. After Gurdjieff died, his papers showed that everyone else paid rent or contributed to the food — this man alone was paid by Gurdjieff to be there and irritate people.

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

I do remember one of the early books I read on spirituality was of this teacher called G he was a Russian guy was you know a bit of a guru maybe in the late 50s I think maybe earlier than that and he ran this ashram this spiritual community in France of all places and apparently that when he died they got all his papers together and in his community there was one guy who was really really a pain in the neck to everybody you know a fellow that no one else could really sort of get on with at all and they often ask you know can you let this gu guy go he's causing a lot of problems for everybody it's just so irritating and they found out that everybody else in that Community had to pay no rent or sort of some contribution to the food that was the only guy who was actually paid by GF to be there he was an employee of the place he was paid to be there and irritate people

## Teaching point

We grow through irritations, not through easy company; embrace and use them.

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

Gurdjieff's community kept asking him to get rid of one infuriating member. After he died, they found the man was the only one paid to be there, to irritate them. The difficult colleague or relative may be your best teacher. Instead of only wishing them gone, ask what they're helping you learn.

## Source

- [Irritation | Ajahn Brahm | 18-03-2011](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6O42-CAHgo) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 4:33 to 5:40: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6O42-CAHgo&t=273s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Dealing With Difficult People | Ajahn Brahm | 09-07-2010](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSQI1e8D3Qo) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 3:37 to 5:13: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSQI1e8D3Qo&t=217s
- [Virtue, Peace and Compassion | Ajahn Brahm | 17 June 2022](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYMtoVMz6QE) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 55:56 to 57:11: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYMtoVMz6QE&t=3356s
- [Thanks A Lot For Gratitude | Ajahn Brahm | 4 Jan 2008](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3hLLsPO5mE) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 9:27 to 10:30: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3hLLsPO5mE&t=567s
- [New Year’s Eve with Ajahn Brahm | 31 December 2021](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4Sqj4h4Jds) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 39:43 to 40:47: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4Sqj4h4Jds&t=2383s