# Mum's blessing at seventeen

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-hitchhiking-to-north-africa-at-seventeen
- Themes: letting go, parenting, love, youth
- Life situations: children leaving home, empty nest, adventure

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

At seventeen, with a sleeping bag and his guitar, he hitchhiked from London to North Africa to explore the world. It must have driven his mother crazy, but she gave him her blessing — a courageous thing. (He came back and looked after her.)

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

I remember what my poor old mum, when I was seventeen, I shouldn't give all the young men here ideas, but I got too late now, seventeen, I had a sleeping bag, my guitar, and I went hitchhiking from London over to North Africa. Must have driven my mum crazy, but off I went to explore the world, and she gave me her blessing, what a courageous thing that was,

## Teaching point

Love lets the people we love go with our blessing.

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

At seventeen he set off from London with a sleeping bag and a guitar to hitchhike to North Africa, and his mother, worried sick, gave him her blessing. It was courage as much as love. Letting the people we love go their own way, with our blessing, is part of loving them. He came back and cared for her.

## Source

- [How to Be Happy in Solitude | Ajahn Brahm | 1 February 2019](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3e-XqXPvmFo) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 38:05 to 38:39: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3e-XqXPvmFo&t=2285s

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 21:40 to 22:46: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvo5G0WbWSs&t=1300s
- [A Talk About Nothing | Ajahn Brahm | 16 July 2021](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u40j_OlBL2U) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 5:50 to 6:36: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u40j_OlBL2U&t=350s
- [Getting Along with Difficult Family Members | Ajahn Brahm | 18 June 2021](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SKiukqiAK8) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:10:03 to 1:10:38: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SKiukqiAK8&t=4203s
- [Winning and Losing | Ajahn Brahm | 02-07-2010](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo7fnJ4DYLk) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 16:45 to 18:08: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo7fnJ4DYLk&t=1005s
- [独りでも幸せでいる方法 ｜ アジャン・ブラム （Ajahn Brahm）2019年2月1日](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiYMe5A0CHs) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 38:18 to 38:43: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiYMe5A0CHs&t=2298s