Being Mindful Stories

Joke · Ajahn Brahm

I'm talking to the duck

As told by Ajahn Brahm in Trust | Ajahn Brahm | 01-04-2011

1 min read

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

there was a little joke which I heard about this somebody told the other day about sort of the wife, you know, shouted out, "Oh, what do you want uh for dinner this evening? Chicken, lamb, or beef?" And the husband said, "Chicken, dear." And the wife said, "I'm not talking to you. I'm talking to the duck." Which I think is uh typical of our modern world.

▶ Watch Ajahn Brahm tell it from 50:50 (to 51:17)

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

A wife asks whether dinner should be chicken, lamb or beef; chicken, dear, says the husband. I'm talking to the duck, she replies. After the laugh, Ajahn Brahm's point is trust. Trust yourself enough to try, even meditation you think you can't do. If you fail, you learn. You're stronger than you think.

In brief (our summary)

Wife calls out whether tonight's dinner should be chicken, lamb or beef. Husband answers 'Chicken, dear.' She replies she wasn't talking to him — she was talking to the duck.

Teaching point

(Joke about who gets heard at home.)

When this story may help

Themes

Source & credit

Told by Ajahn Brahm in Trust | Ajahn Brahm | 01-04-2011 · 2011-04-02 · ▶ watch from 50:50 to 51:17 · 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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