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Story · Ajahn Brahm

He offered me a job at the Melbourne Comedy Club

As told by Ajahn Brahm in Ultimate Reality | Ajahn Brahm | 5 May 2017

1 min read

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

I gave a talk over in in Melbourne a few years ago and one of the people in the audience was a professional comedian who goes on TV I forget what his name was now he came up to me afterwards and said I think I can get you a job in the Melbourne Comedy Club he actually offered me a job so I could have become a comedian but I said no no I'll keep my day job as a muck

▶ Watch Ajahn Brahm tell it from 55:50 (to 56:18)

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

After a Melbourne talk, a TV comedian offered to get Ajahn Brahm a spot at a comedy club; he kept his day job as a monk. Then he turns serious: our world keeps telling people they're never good enough, and that hurts. Tell those around you, especially children, that they're good enough as they are.

In brief (our summary)

After a Melbourne talk a TV comedian came up and said he could get Brahm a job at the Melbourne Comedy Club. Brahm declined — he'd keep his day job as a monk. Nested in a Robin Williams / 'never good enough' reflection.

Teaching point

Even a monk's jokes can be stage-ready — but the robe is the real job.

When this story may help

  • career temptation
  • staying with your path

Themes

Source & credit

Told by Ajahn Brahm in Ultimate Reality | Ajahn Brahm | 5 May 2017 · 2017-05-05 · ▶ watch from 55:50 to 56:18 · Buddhist Society of Western Australia

1 other telling of this story

Caption notes: YouTube auto-captions: unpunctuated, words left exactly as captioned. 'muck' = monk.

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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