# They lost the plot (Guildford Cemetery)

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Joke
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-lost-the-plot-guildford
- Themes: mistakes, funerals, humour
- Life situations: embarrassing mistake, organising a funeral

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

After the joke about funeral directors who 'lost the plot', Ajahn Brahm recalls it really happening at Guildford Cemetery: walking ahead of the hearse, the funeral director admits he doesn't know where the grave is, until mourners 300 metres away wave them over.

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

I know you don't heard the joke about you know the funeral Directors, you know who couldn't find the gravesite They lost the plot For that actually happened to me once I think in Guildford Cemetery and As we're doing the procession from the gates and when they were going and just now we're going in the front end and the hearse was following myself and the funeral director and the northern mourners behind and they Were going and I said, no. This is a long way. He said you know. I don't know where it is And we looked over there maybe about 300 meters away and that people were waving at us there's over here

## Teaching point

Mistakes at solemn moments are part of life; laughing at them frees us.

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

Even a funeral director can lose his way in a cemetery, with the hearse and all the mourners following on behind. Ajahn Brahm tells it with a grin, not a frown. Solemn days still have their muddles. When you take a wrong turn in front of everyone, look up for the people waving, and laugh with them.

## Source

- [Stress - Overreaction to Life | Ajahn Brahm | 9 March 2018](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEpeaWywKi4) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:04:51 to 1:05:34: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEpeaWywKi4&t=3891s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Stres-reaksi berlebihan dalam hidup | Ajahn Brahm | 9 March 2018](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C30q01E1Ob4) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:04:58 to 1:05:37: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C30q01E1Ob4&t=3898s