# They watched the sunset on TV — the real one was at the window

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Analogy
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-leunig-sunset-on-tv-not-window
- Themes: present moment, nature, media, awareness
- Life situations: screen addiction, missing beauty, overthinking

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

A favourite Leunig cartoon: left half, a family watches a sunset on a nature channel; right half, an open window shows the actual sunset outside. They prefer the screen a few feet from the real thing. He maps the TV to thoughts and opinions one step removed from lived reality.

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

There is a family watching the TV, that's in the left half of the cartoon they're watching a sunset, a beautiful sunset, portrayed on some nature channel on the TV, and in the right part of the cartoon is an open window, where the actual sunset is occurring. They prefer to watch it on the TV and just move a few feet and look through the window and see the real sunset happening

## Teaching point

Don't settle for a second-hand sunset; experience this moment directly.

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

In a favourite cartoon, a family watches a sunset on TV while a real one blazes through the open window beside them. Thoughts and opinions are like that screen, one step from reality. Stop thinking for a moment. Listen to the birds and look at this evening's sky; it'll never come again.

## Source

- [Contentment in the Moment | Ajahn Brahm | 16 June 2020](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0t5zraTyN90) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 4:20 to 4:56: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0t5zraTyN90&t=260s