Being Mindful Stories

Joke · Ajahn Brahm

The fourth priest's confession

As told by Ajahn Brahm in Skillful Speech | Ajahn Brahm | 03-07-2009

3 min read

Content note: mentions addiction and adultery (humour)

The story — as told by Ajahn Brahm (verbatim captions)

this is a story about the the four religious priests meeting together after a conference and as they had like their lunch and they had a half an hour they were sitting on a bench together they were old friends and one of them said to the other three said look something has been on my mind a long time and you're my friends even though it's hard for me to admit this to confess this I need to get it off my chest he said I've got a problem gambling he said even though I'm a religious leader even though I tell my flock that gambling sort of you know is a wrong thing to do said whatever lottery or horse race is on I just have to gamble I'm a compulsive Gambler did any of you do the $90 million lottery yeah stupid what's a chance of winning but if he did win please come and see me afterwards but I know gambling is wrong for especially like know the the hardcore gambling like you know on the internet poker on um soccer or on horse racing you lose a lot of money that way so this one said look I'm a gambler and I just need to get this out to confess it to you and the other three religious leaders I were very surprised and they said that's a terrible thing the person in your opposition doing that but it's great you tell us because when you open out to other people it's a chance for actually to do something about it so said well done and then this second uh second priest he was a little bit more um worried and he said there's been something on my mind as well some terrible thing which I've been doing he said that's alcohol he said actually I'm an alcoholic he said when people leave the church or the temple I get into the whiskey the wine anything left over I drink it all down and you w't want to see me sort of on a Friday evening once everybody goes home I get drunk he said I'm an alcoholic and no one ever suspected a person in his position was an alcoholic but the least he was confessing and they looked at the third priest said what's your problem he said don't ask ask me he said look come on it's good to get you're a religious person a spiritual person when you acknowledge your mistakes they can be some solution so he took a deep breath and said adultery he said there's a woman in my congregation she's got a husband we fell in love I'm sleeping with her that's disgusting that's terrible a person in your position is a leader and you're doing something like that but at least you let us know maybe we can do something about it and then they looked at the fourth priest and the fourth priest just what it's time to go when it's time to go you know we've all let you know our problems now what's your problem what's your biggest Obsession and addiction please let us know and he said look you don't want to know and he said what it can't be anything worse than gambling alcoholism or adultery he said it is it's much worse now let's go back to the conference don't ask me they wouldn't let him go they pressed and pressed on him until he admitted it now what do you think is worse for a priest than her gambling alcohol and adultery sh no no not killing his parents much worse than that sh don't B my f eventually he confessed he said my problem is much worse much much worse than being a gambler alcoholic and being an adulterer my biggest problem is I'm a gossip whatever I hear I have to tell everybody else and those other three priests would not happy

▶ Watch Ajahn Brahm tell it from 53:38 (to 58:33)

A reflection (in the spirit of Ajahn Brahm's talk)

Four clergymen confess their weaknesses: gambling, drink, an affair, and the worst one, which the fourth won't admit at first. He's a gossip; whatever he hears, he has to tell. Gossip harms people who aren't there to answer. Choose gentle words that go to the heart instead.

In brief (our summary)

Four religious leaders, old friends, sit on a bench after a conference and confess their secret weaknesses. One is a compulsive gambler, the second an alcoholic, the third is sleeping with a married woman in his congregation. The fourth refuses to tell — it's much worse — but they press him until he admits it: 'I'm a gossip. Whatever I hear, I have to tell everybody else.'

Teaching point

Gossip is one of the worst kinds of wrong speech; speak well of others.

When this story may help

  • gossip
  • keeping confidences

Themes

Source & credit

Told by Ajahn Brahm in Skillful Speech | Ajahn Brahm | 03-07-2009 · 2009-11-19 · ▶ watch from 53:38 to 58:33 · Buddhist Society of Western Australia

1 other telling of this story

Caption notes: YouTube auto-captions: unpunctuated, words left exactly as captioned.

The narrative is Ajahn Brahm's own telling, quoted from the talk captions. The summary and reflection are Being Mindful Stories's editorial notes. Please credit the teacher and link the original talk. Markdown version

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