# The squirrel on the psychiatrist's couch

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Joke
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-joke-squirrel-psychiatrist-nuts
- Themes: humour
- Life situations: needing a laugh

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

A cartoon sent to the monastery: a squirrel on a psychiatrist's couch explains why it came — when it realised 'you are what you eat', it realised it was nuts.

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

somebody sent a little cartoon to our monastery there was a squirrel a squirrel was on the couch at a psychiatrist's office and the psychiatrist you know with all the the um certificates on the wall and said why are you here squibble and the squirrel replied well when i when i realized you are what you eat i realized i was nuts oh come on you are what you eat squirrels eat nuts therefore if i'm what i mean i'm nuts

## Teaching point

A moment of silliness, posted on the monastery wall.

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

A squirrel tells its psychiatrist it realised you are what you eat, and therefore it's nuts. The monks pinned the cartoon on the monastery wall. Silliness has a place in serious lives, monasteries included. When problems pile up, a daft joke won't fix them, but it changes how you hold them.

## Source

- [Facing Difficult Situations in Life | Ajahn Brahm | 6 October 2017](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yy0k6zefVM) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 11:11 to 11:56: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yy0k6zefVM&t=671s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Menghadapi Situasi yang Sulit Dalam Hidup | Ajahn Brahm | 6 October 2017](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCOm9Cy50Cc) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 11:12 to 11:55: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCOm9Cy50Cc&t=672s