Joke · Ajahn Brahm
You're the girl whose name I keep forgetting
The story — as told by Ajahn Brahm (verbatim captions)
somebody comes up, do you remember me? And I say, "Oh, yeah. Yeah, you're the the girl whose name I keep forgetting." That gets you out of a bind anyway. You're the person whose name I keep forgetting. Who are you? Keep forgetting your name
▶ Watch Ajahn Brahm tell it from 19:51 (to 20:12)
A reflection (in the spirit of Ajahn Brahm's talk)
Asked 'Do you remember me?', Ajahn Brahm has a joke-book escape: you're the one whose name I keep forgetting. Once, honestly, he didn't recognise a man he'd taught while very ill, who said he'd since recovered and now teaches meditation. Not a promised cure. But sharing what helped you can give others hope.
In brief (our summary)
When strangers ask 'Do you remember me?' after talks to hundreds or thousands, a joke-book escape: 'Oh yes — you're the girl whose name I keep forgetting.'
Teaching point
(Joke about impossible recognition.)
When this story may help
- needing a laugh
- awkward recognition
Themes
Source & credit
Told by Ajahn Brahm in Why? Is an Important Question to Ask | Ajahn Brahm | 1 January 2021 · 2021-01-01 · ▶ watch from 19:51 to 20:12 · Buddhist Society of Western Australia
1 other telling of this story
- 12 Insight Into the Path · 2013-01-24 · ▶ watch from 34:13 to 34:45 · BSWA Retreats 2011-15 & MediaSomeone from a retreat five years earlier: rather than admit he cannot remember, 'you're the one whose name I keep forgetting.'
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