# Face to face with a tiger — in the zoo

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Joke
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-joke-tiger-in-the-zoo
- Themes: humour, fear, monks
- Life situations: needing a laugh

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Asked about jungle stories, Ajahn Brahm says he once stood four feet from a huge tiger and was not scared at all — because the tiger was in the zoo, behind bars.

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

I came so close to a tiger, a big tiger, he was only about four feet away from me. That's absolutely true this huge tiger, I was only four feet away and I wasn't all afraid. Is that amazing? Is that impressive? It was in the zoo! (laughter) There were big iron bars between me and the tiger

## Teaching point

(Joke / deflation of the macho jungle-monk image.)

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

Asked for jungle adventures, Ajahn Brahm boasts he once stood four feet from a huge tiger without fear. It was in the zoo, behind thick bars. Then he turns serious: fear tenses the body and multiplies pain. Kindness dissolves fear. Stay in the present instead of dreading what might come.

## Source

- [How to deal with chronic pain | Ajahn Brahm | 04-07-2014](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=As9jmZBCUWU) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 19:51 to 20:21: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=As9jmZBCUWU&t=1191s

Other tellings of this story:

- [How to deal with abusive relationships | Ajahn Brahm | 13-03-2015](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuGKQmP7jZs) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 49:05 to 49:48: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuGKQmP7jZs&t=2945s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 9 June 2018](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uj9OAjrBfgY) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:04:59 to 1:05:19: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uj9OAjrBfgY&t=3899s