# Lao Tzu and the beautiful sunset

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-laotzu-sunset
- Themes: overthinking, presence, silence, direct experience
- Life situations: overthinking, unable to enjoy life, meditation difficulty

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

A disciple walking with Lao Tzu breaks the rule of silence to exclaim at a sunset and is never taken walking again; the master explains that the moment he spoke, he was watching words, not the sunset.

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

That's why there's this old simile, it's an old meditation story of Lao Tzu. Every evening he would go on a walk and he'd choose one of his disciples, only one could go on a walk with the great master. There was a golden rule, if you went on a walk with the great Taoist master you have to be quiet, you weren't allowed to speak, not even one word. One day this young man was going on a walk with the master and they got to a ridge in mountains at sunset and it was one of these amazing gorgeous sunsets and the young man couldn't help himself but say, "Wow, what a beautiful sunset." He broke the rule. Lao Tzu turned around, went back to the monastery, would never allow that young man to go on a walk ever again. The young man's friend pleaded for him, said "Look, it was only one sentence, give him a break, cut him some slack what's the big deal anyway, of keeping silent?" And that's when the master said this very profound explanation. He said, "When that young man said 'what a beautiful sunset,' he wasn't watching the sunset anymore, he was only watching the words, he wasn't watching the sunset, he was only watching the words."

## Teaching point

“Every time you think ‘what a beautiful sunset,’ you're not watching anymore, you're watching the words.”

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

The young man saw a glorious sunset and, with one sentence, swapped it for words about a sunset. We do this all day, describing, judging and commenting instead of looking. Now and then, at a sunset, a meal or a child's face, let the commentary rest and simply see. A few silent moments are enough.

## Source

- [Four Ways of Letting Go | Ajahn Brahm | 09-04-2010](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USC5MJVZLy8) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 16:56 to 18:19: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USC5MJVZLy8&t=1016s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Total Listening | Ajahn Brahm | 29 Jun 2012](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQSBFC_IlVY) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 43:52 to 44:59: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQSBFC_IlVY&t=2632s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 1 May 2021](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=np5zPAELroM) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:04:09 to 1:05:02: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=np5zPAELroM&t=3849s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 6 June 2020](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o69b99Y_wwE) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 58:24 to 58:55: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o69b99Y_wwE&t=3504s
- [Bốn Cách Buông Bỏ | Ajahn Brahm](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kUXlmXQl3w) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 16:58 to 17:40: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kUXlmXQl3w&t=1018s
- [01. Day 1 - Morning Talk. Ajahn Brahm Retreat at Bandarawela, Sri Lanka 2011](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtnuVoJXWhM) (BSWA Retreats 2011-15 & Media) — watch from 44:13 to 45:19: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtnuVoJXWhM&t=2653s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 14 May 2022](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4SDLt1-8LQ) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 20:37 to 21:37: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4SDLt1-8LQ&t=1237s
- [Vier Wege des Loslassens | Ajahn Brahm](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1ogksu5DW4) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 16:58 to 18:16: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1ogksu5DW4&t=1018s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 3 February 2018](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNgmmxbahoU) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:05:05 to 1:05:33: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNgmmxbahoU&t=3905s
- [阿姜·布拉姆佛法讲座：放下的四种方式 - Four Ways Of Letting Go| Ajahn Brahm|](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVfMlptftvI) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 17:00 to 17:47: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVfMlptftvI&t=1020s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 4 February 2023](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FGyruwsFIw) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 11:26 to 12:20: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FGyruwsFIw&t=686s
- [Word of the Buddha (Part 8) | Ajahn Brahm | 26 November 2023](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoxj5MG37lU) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 49:31 to 50:10: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoxj5MG37lU&t=2971s
- [Four Ways of Letting Go | Ajahn Brahm | 09-04-2010](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYS30UBW0gs) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 17:00 to 17:38: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYS30UBW0gs&t=1020s
- [Cztery sposoby na to, jak odpuścić - Ajahn Brahm [LEKTOR PL]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXR9emyoJlA) (Sasana.pl) — watch from 16:55 to 18:23: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXR9emyoJlA&t=1015s