Story · Ajahn Brahm
The man who shouted at the traffic lights
The story — as told by Ajahn Brahm (verbatim captions)
Just that man, actually it was in Leach Highway, on a hot day, many years ago. Pulled up at this, I think it was 3 lanes going in either direction. Pulled up at the red traffic lights, and because I was at the passenger seat, my window was open. Right next to me, maybe a foot away was the driver. His window was open as well. He got caught at the red light and he was raging at the traffic lights. Saying "You stupid damn lights!" Why did you have to change now? I was late! This is not the first time you've done this, you did it last time!
▶ Watch Ajahn Brahm tell it from 22:04 (to 22:45)
A reflection (in the spirit of Ajahn Brahm's talk)
A driver screamed at a red light on Leach Highway as though it had picked on him personally. The lights have no intentions at all, Ajahn Brahm points out, and neither, mostly, do the people who frustrate us. Shouting at a husband or wife works about as well. Change your attitude instead, and accept life as it is.
In brief (our summary)
On a hot day on Leach Highway, Ajahn Brahm sits in the passenger seat with the window open. A foot away, the driver in the next lane, caught at the red light, rages at it: “You stupid damn lights! Why did you have to change now? I was late! This is not the first time you've done this — you did it last time!”
Teaching point
Traffic lights are just being traffic lights; husbands are just being husbands. Anger is a misunderstanding of nature — change your attitude, not the lights.
When this story may help
- road rage
- frustration with a partner
- running late
Themes
Source & credit
Told by Ajahn Brahm in Talk Your Way To Happiness | Ajahn Brahm | 09-02-2007 · 2007-02-11 · ▶ watch from 22:04 to 22:45 · Buddhist Society of Western Australia
2 other tellings of this story
- On the Other Side of Anger | by Ajahn Brahm | 31-05-2013 · 2013-06-01 · ▶ watch from 9:02 to 10:13 · Buddhist Society of Western AustraliaMay 2013 telling: 15–20 years earlier, in the monastery's old Kombi van with no air-con; he first says Leach Highway, then corrects himself to Tonkin Highway (earlier telling: Leach Highway). He returns to the man's 'not the first time' complaint later in the talk.
- Zero Ego | Ajahn Brahm | 6 March 2020 · 2020-03-07 · ▶ watch from 50:33 to 51:02 · Buddhist Society of Western AustraliaMar 2020 telling: Leach Hwy; driver swears at red light.
Caption notes: Manual (volunteer) captions; occasional misspellings kept as is. 'Leach Highway' is spelled correctly here.
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