Being Mindful Stories

Story · Ajahn Brahm

Ray-Bans on the meditation demon

As told by Ajahn Brahm in What Happens After You Die? | Ajahn Brahm | 08-04-2011

2 min read

The story — as told by Ajahn Brahm (verbatim captions)

many many years ago when I started meditating I was getting into a deep State my body had gone and I saw this monster in front of me like a demon know with big eyes red eyes big fangs in his mouth dripping blood fresh red blood uh a necklace of skulls and this really spiky hair that's her tongue hanging out and right in front of me in my meditation now would you guys be scared a lot of times people ask you because they just don't know what to do I was wise enough even by this time to know how I create the world and because I knew that I was a Creator and because of my character the first thing I did was put a a couple of sunnies over this guy's eyes I just needed to think that and this guy had like a pair of Ray bands over his his uh big googly eyes I blacked out a few of his thing fangs like he used to do as a school kid doodling and I put a cigarette out of his mouth to make him look like some delinquent monster I think the last thing I did I put a straw hat over his head with a little flower coming out I created that monster into something which was totally ridiculous at which I laughed inside and the monster went and never came back again cuz I created that thing and I could uncreate it with a positive fun compassionate mind and that actually happened to this one guy in our Monastery years ago who came to see me he was staying for a few uh months or a few weeks he was actually seeing in every of the paving bricks he see a monster come out of him he thought he was going crazy and I told him that technique one day later he a wonderful day amazing how I could create these these funny pictures out of these monsters and of course it just disappeared after that

▶ Watch Ajahn Brahm tell it from 44:46 (to 46:51)

A reflection (in the spirit of Ajahn Brahm's talk)

Frightening images in meditation are often things the mind has made. A playful, kind mind can unmake them — Ray-Bans, a straw hat, a laugh — and the monster loses its power. Grow that positive, fun, compassionate mind; it shapes what comes next.

In brief (our summary)

Early in his practice a blood-dripping, skull-necklaced demon appears in Ajahn Brahm's deep meditation; knowing the mind creates it, he gives it sunglasses, blacked-out fangs, a cigarette and a straw hat with a flower, laughs, and it never returns. A monastery guest who saw monsters in the paving bricks tried the same and they vanished.

Teaching point

What the mind creates, a playful, compassionate mind can un-create.

When this story may help

  • frightening images in meditation
  • intrusive frightening thoughts
  • nightmares

Themes

Source & credit

Told by Ajahn Brahm in What Happens After You Die? | Ajahn Brahm | 08-04-2011 · 2011-04-09 · ▶ watch from 44:46 to 46:51 · Buddhist Society of Western Australia

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

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