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Story · Ajahn Brahm

In Laos, war stops for lunch

As told by Ajahn Brahm in Relax | Ajahn Brahm | 19 May 2017

2 min read

Content note: second-hand; unverified historical anecdote (Laotian Civil War)

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

I remember one of the stories this I never saw this myself but this was told to me by one of my friends who was a monk he was in luang probang the second the city of Laos doing the the war with the Communists and the royalists and this is actually how you relax he was at one of these little restaurants you know they would fare every occupational health and safety regulation in Australia but the food was delicious you know dirty but great food bamboo and thatch that's all there was and he'd go there for his lunch he was sitting at a table eating some delicious meal and he did notice there was a government soldiers they were sitting at another table having their lunch with the M16 the old machine gun rifles leaning against the wall this was lunchtime and he was enjoying his lunch when his heart almost stopped when he saw the Communist soldiers came in they called potato at the time these were the enemy this was a watch in the Vietnam War times and the the Communists came into the restaurant and he went to dive under the table but no one else was trying to escape or dive under the table because they saw the enemy troops the Communist troops they just looked around and chose another table they put their guns against the wall and they ordered their lunch because in Laos at that time War always stops for lunch oh would it be a wonderful thing if even these days people get their priorities right and lost they'd always have a lunch break when you're free fighting a war and that's what they did those days and of course afterwards said what happened next after lunch was over all of them they had some understanding the you know the Communist troops would go one way the rewarders will go the other way so they would have to meet each other

▶ Watch Ajahn Brahm tell it from 2:36 (to 5:04)

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

In wartime Luang Prabang, communist and royalist soldiers leaned their rifles on the same restaurant wall and ate lunch side by side, then left in opposite directions. Even a war stopped for lunch. If enemies could pause like that, we can unclench in our own arguments. Take a break, eat, and relax a little.

In brief (our summary)

A monk friend, in Luang Prabang during the war between the communists and royalists, is eating lunch at a bamboo-and-thatch restaurant beside government soldiers whose M16s lean against the wall. Communist soldiers walk in; he nearly dives under the table, but no one else moves — the communists choose another table, lean their guns on the wall and order lunch. In Laos at that time war always stopped for lunch; afterwards each side went its own way so they wouldn't meet.

Teaching point

Get your priorities right: even a fight can pause; learn to relax and not take things so seriously.

When this story may help

Themes

Source & credit

Told by Ajahn Brahm in Relax | Ajahn Brahm | 19 May 2017 · 2017-05-19 · ▶ watch from 2:36 to 5:04 · Buddhist Society of Western Australia

Caption notes: YouTube auto-captions: unpunctuated, words left exactly as captioned. 'luang probang' = Luang Prabang; 'potato' = Pathet (Lao); 'rewarders' = royalists (not changed).

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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