# The man who shouted at the traffic lights

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-man-shouting-at-traffic-lights
- Themes: anger, acceptance, humour, relationships
- Life situations: road rage, frustration with a partner, running late

## Synopsis (editorial 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!”

## 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!

## 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.

## 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.

## Source

- [Talk Your Way To Happiness | Ajahn Brahm | 09-02-2007](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7d-KozmokQ) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 22:04 to 22:45: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7d-KozmokQ&t=1324s

Other tellings of this story:

- [On the Other Side of Anger | by Ajahn Brahm | 31-05-2013](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7fm_Es5THY) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 9:02 to 10:13: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7fm_Es5THY&t=542s
- [Zero Ego | Ajahn Brahm | 6 March 2020](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlZbR1VMHrY) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 50:33 to 51:02: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlZbR1VMHrY&t=3033s