Being Mindful Stories

Story · Ajahn Brahm

The monk who pulled his own tooth

As told by Ajahn Brahm in Learn to be at peace with yourself | Ajahn Brahm | 6 Jan 2017

2 min read

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

I know that one of our monks many years ago, he, you know, he had a bad teeth, and you know, we live in Serpentine, it's a long way to go to the dentist. And you know what it's like these days, you have to make an appointment, and when you go to the appointment then you have to wait and then... It's just such a pain in the... actually probably the pain in the neck is worse than the pain in the mouth to go to the dentist sometimes. So this monk decided "ah yeah, it's a waste of time going to the dentist". So he decided to pull his own tooth out. I saw him! He just, he went to the workshop, got a pair of pliers and just yanked his tooth out. And I just happened to be going to the workshop at Bodhinyana Monastery and I saw this bloody tooth, you know, in a pair of pliers. "What have you been doing?" "Oh you know, took my tooth out, It's much cheaper and much quicker than going to the dentist." And I thought "How did you do that?" And he said "It's very easy, because..." It's a wonderful little teaching He said: "When I decided to pull my tooth out, that didn't hurt. You know, thinking about, planning doesn't hurt. And when I went to the workshop that didn't hurt, when I picked up the pliers that didn't hurt, when I put the pair of pliers on the tooth that never hurt, when I wiggled that hurt! But you know, just for, maybe, twenty seconds, thirty seconds and it was out and it didn't hurt much afterwards. It's only twenty seconds of pain, that's all." But if that was you, (Points at audience), even before you'd even picked up the pliers it would hurt like hell (Laugh). You see what pain is? Anticipation. He trained himself not to anticipate, being in the present moment, so it's only ten seconds of pain.

▶ Watch Ajahn Brahm tell it from 55:11 (to 56:56)

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

Deciding, walking to the workshop and picking up the pliers didn't hurt; only twenty seconds of wiggling did. Most of what we dread happens before the event, inside the mind. Facing an injection, an exam or a hard conversation, meet each step only as it arrives. (And please, do still see your dentist.)

In brief (our summary)

Rather than travel to a dentist, a Bodhinyana monk pulls his own tooth with workshop pliers; he explains that only the twenty seconds of wiggling hurt — planning, walking and picking up the pliers did not.

Teaching point

“You see what pain is? Anticipation. He trained himself not to anticipate, being in the present moment.”

When this story may help

Themes

Source & credit

Told by Ajahn Brahm in Learn to be at peace with yourself | Ajahn Brahm | 6 Jan 2017 · 2017-01-06 · ▶ watch from 55:11 to 56:56 · Buddhist Society of Western Australia

3 other tellings of this story

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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