# How heavy is the glass?

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Analogy
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-how-heavy-is-the-glass
- Themes: stress, letting go, metaphor, work
- Life situations: burnout, carrying worries

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Brahm's own analogy (he laughs hearing someone else quote it): how heavy is the glass? The longer you hold it the heavier it feels — minutes to pain, agony, hospital. When it gets too heavy, you put it down.

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

how heavy is the glass and i was laughing my head off when she was saying this because i i made that this story up how heavy is the glass the longer you hold it the heavier it feels if you hold it for two or three minutes you'll be in pain four minutes should be in agony five minutes you'll be in a hospital case and really stupid what do you do when it starts getting too heavy to hold comfortably you put it down

## Teaching point

Problems gain weight from how long you grip them, not from their mass.

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

How heavy is a glass of water? It depends how long you hold it. A minute is fine; hold it for hours and it hurts terribly. The answer is to put it down for a while. Putting it down isn't irresponsible. Rest, and you can pick it up again, lighter. That's how to handle stress.

## Source

- [Learning How to Relax | Ajahn Brahm | 10 June 2022](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6PgjTeBjQE) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 9:27 to 10:07: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6PgjTeBjQE&t=567s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Buddhism and tea | Ajahn Brahm | 20-03-2015](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwUIFzQyaQk) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 5:59 to 6:25: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwUIFzQyaQk&t=359s
- [Peace in Present Moment | Ajahn Brahm | 14 November 2025](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxfX7PEKRLQ) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 40:44 to 42:28: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxfX7PEKRLQ&t=2444s
- [Finding a place of peace to retreat | Ajahn Brahm | 24 July 2015](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmx9W0u-XHE) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 9:19 to 10:11: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmx9W0u-XHE&t=559s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 29 April 2023](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2nL-f5sQAg) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:28 to 1:56: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2nL-f5sQAg&t=88s
- [How to be of Service | Ajahn Brahm | 11 June 2021](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgKWRJ3Po44) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 43:27 to 44:00: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgKWRJ3Po44&t=2607s
- [Effective Management | Ajahn Brahm | 06 Nov 2017](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_5tfQRkAZ4) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 38:26 to 39:02: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_5tfQRkAZ4&t=2306s