# If you understand, you can explain it to the barmaid

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Analogy
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-heisenberg-explain-to-the-barmaid
- Themes: understanding, teaching, simplicity
- Life situations: explaining faith, study

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Heisenberg (via Brahm): if you really understand quantum physics you can explain it to the bar girl serving a pint — and she will understand. Same test for Nibbana: if it's gobbledygook, you don't understand it yet.

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

there was this very powerful quote by one of the most famous Quantum physicists Vera Heisenberg which even if you weren't a physicist everybody knows Heisenberg by Heisenberg's uncertainty principle you know at least I think you do anyway but you also know that quantum physics is incredibly complicated but this man he's quoted as saying if you really understand quantum physics if you really understand it you can explain it to the bar girl serving you a pint of beer in the pub and she will understand it so if you really understand Nana or God you'll be able to to explain it to somebody serving you beer in a nightclub and they will understand in other words if what you say is Goble cook it means you don't understand so when I gave up Christianity and became a Buddhist

## Teaching point

Real understanding is simple enough to share over a pint.

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

Heisenberg is said to have claimed that if you truly understand quantum physics, you can explain it to the barmaid. When monks told young Ajahn Brahm enlightenment was ineffable, he figured they didn't know either. So he puts it plainly: the end of craving, happy just to be here. Real understanding sounds simple.

## Source

- [Why not Us? | Ajahn Brahm | 18-02-2011](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_rd8PBUpwU) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 6:02 to 7:12: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_rd8PBUpwU&t=362s