# The coffin that chased him home

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Joke
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-joke-coffin-chased-him-home
- Themes: humour, death, fear
- Life situations: needing a laugh, death anxiety

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Man flees a cemetery thinking he is safe; the coffin bumps after him; he jumps his front gate — then the coffin tries to smash the iron gate down.

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

got out of the of the cemetery, he thought he'd made it to safety. But as he turned around again, he saw the coffin had come out the front gate and was bumping behind him. So, he really sprinted as hard as he could to get to his house. The front gate was only just a, you know, a little bit further. He managed to get to his front gate. He didn't open his front gate. He jumped over. He was so scared. He jumped over and looked around. That coffin had seen him and was now trying to smash down the front iron gate

## Teaching point

Sometimes what you run from follows you over the gate.

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

A man fleeing a graveyard is chased home by a bumping coffin. He leaps the gate, fumbles his keys, slams the door. Ajahn Brahm milks every moment of the chase. Running from what scares us rarely works; fear follows us home. Sometimes the bravest thing is to turn around and look.

## Source

- [Living a Happy and Peaceful Life | Ajahn Brahm | 10 July 2026](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_17-u_j6w9Q) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 9:59 to 10:57: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_17-u_j6w9Q&t=599s

Other tellings of this story:

- [New Year's Eve Dhamma Talk | Ajahn Brahm | 31 December 2019](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIzP1mk4rbo) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 20:29 to 27:43: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIzP1mk4rbo&t=1229s
- [Rebirth | Ajahn Brahm | 26 June 2026](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZ3flS2elZo) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 40:43 to 47:26: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZ3flS2elZo&t=2443s
- [Relax and Recharge During the Holidays | Ajahn Brahm | 12 January 2018](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEJV916gvTI) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 29:14 to 32:15: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEJV916gvTI&t=1754s
- [8 Between Observer & Observed - October 2011](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXrSclZFCNY) (BSWA Retreats 2011-15 & Media) — watch from 11:58 to 13:54: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXrSclZFCNY&t=718s