Being Mindful Stories

Joke · Ajahn Brahm

I want happiness — scrub I, scrub want

As told by Ajahn Brahm in Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 24 February 2018

1 min read

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

there was a cartoon first. This really angry guy going to the monk. I want happiness. And the monk takes one look at that. Problem number one, I let go of the sense of self. Yeah, just part of nature. Just just let that eye go. So he scrubs out the eye and then the sign reads want happiness. Second problem, want. So he scrubs that out and then he holds up the sign happiness

▶ Watch Ajahn Brahm tell it from 1:03:49 (to 1:04:27)

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

In a cartoon, an angry man brings a monk a sign reading 'I want happiness'. The monk crosses out 'I', then 'want', and hands back 'happiness'. Self and craving are the problem. And you don't have to be happy on cue either. You're not supposed to be anything. Just relax, wherever you are.

In brief (our summary)

Cartoon: angry man brings a monk a sign 'I want happiness'. Monk scrubs out the I (let go of self), then scrubs out want (craving), and holds up the remaining word: happiness.

Teaching point

Happiness appears when self and craving are scrubbed off the sign.

When this story may help

Themes

Source & credit

Told by Ajahn Brahm in Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 24 February 2018 · 2018-02-24 · ▶ watch from 1:03:49 to 1:04:27 · Buddhist Society of Western Australia

2 other tellings of this story

Caption notes: YouTube auto-captions with machine-added punctuation; 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

  • Mahinda's mango-tree riddle

    In brief: He says the first monk in Sri Lanka (Mahinda) tested the king with a riddle about a mango tree and other mangoes — answered correctly, so…

    Read full story

    What's this tree called?" It was like a mango tree. Are there any other mango trees in Sri Lanka? Yes, said the king. Are there any trees other than those mangoes and the other trees? Yes, sir. The tree in front of me. Ah, smart person. Correct. So, that's why Buddhism started in Sri Lanka because of riddles

    Open story page·Watch this telling

  • Hahayana — the book title that stuck

    In brief: Idea for a joke book combining Hinayana/Mahayana/Vajrayana into Hahayana — title first, book maybe never; the laugh is the teaching.

    Read full story

    a combination of uh Hinayana, Mahayana, and Vajrayana, which became Hahayana, yes. Hahayana Buddhist teachings of Ajahn Brahm. [laughter] And then I've never got that far, but never mind

    Open story page·Watch this telling

  • Joke: four monks with a vow of silence

    In brief: Four monks take a vow of silence. One sneezes. The first says, 'Bless you.' The second says, 'You've just broken your vow of silence.' The…

    Read full story

    there was four monks with a vow of silence one monk sneezed the first monk said bless you second monk said you've just broken your vow of silence the third one said haha so have you fourth one said I'm glad I'm the only one here who can keep quiet

    Open story page·Watch this telling

  • The sandflies weren't in the brochure

    In brief: Invited to teach in New Zealand, Ajahn Brahm gets a brochure of Alpine mountains and placid lakes — just the kind of place a monk loves.…

    Read full story

    I remember to seeing a cuz I was invited to give some talks in New Zealand and so I got a brocher on New Zealand the most beautiful countryside there and know his mountains you know like the lakes with his like the Alps with his beautiful Placid lakes and there wonderful scenery there and I thought wow that is the sort of place a monk likes to go to mountains lakes beautiful Forest but when I went there I couldn't stand still for one minute sandflies for those who've been to New Zealand you know what I'm talking about and the South Island sandflies everywhere and so it was very tranquil on the pictures but the glossy u crossy pictures in the magazine they couldn't show you the sandflies

    Open story page·Watch this telling

All stories·Find a story for your situation