Being Mindful Stories

Story · Ajahn Brahm

Monk uncle spoils the brother's parenting lecture

As told by Ajahn Brahm in Transcending Negativity of Our World | Ajahn Brahm | 12 April 2019

1 min read

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

they called me? Of course, they called me monk uncle. Come here, uncle. You should've heard that one before. An uncle who's a monk becomes monk uncle. [snorts] So, anyway, and my I don't know what my brother was up to, but I was talking to my niece and nephews. They were about 10 or 11 or 12 at the time. And they said, "Oh, what was What was our dad like when he was young?" You know, cuz I was his younger brother. "Oh, you know, this is what he did." And and I told I started telling him all the bad things which my my brother did when he was young. And that's when my brother came in. He said, "You know, brother, what are you telling my kids? I'm trying to tell them to be good and you're spoiling it all by saying that what I'm telling to do, I never did when I was a young man

▶ Watch Ajahn Brahm tell it from 14:38 (to 15:26)

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

Visiting as 'monk uncle', Ajahn Brahm cheerfully told his niece and nephew about their dad's childhood mischief, until his brother stormed in: I'm trying to teach them to be good. Honesty helps. Kids do listen, just differently. Stop assuming the young are worse than we were.

In brief (our summary)

Visiting as 'monk uncle', Brahm's niece and nephews ask what Dad was like young; he starts listing his brother's childhood misdeeds. The brother walks in furious — he is trying to tell the kids to be good, and Brahm is proving Dad never did any of it.

Teaching point

Honest family history undercuts the myth that only today's kids are bad.

When this story may help

  • parenting lectures
  • family reunions

Themes

Source & credit

Told by Ajahn Brahm in Transcending Negativity of Our World | Ajahn Brahm | 12 April 2019 · 2019-04-12 · ▶ watch from 14:38 to 15:26 · Buddhist Society of Western Australia

1 other telling of this story

Caption notes: YouTube auto-captions with machine-added punctuation; words left exactly as captioned.

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

  • Telling the kids what their dad got up to

    In brief: Visiting his brother, Ajahn Brahm tells his young nephew and niece about all the naughty things their father did at their age; fascinated,…

    Read full story

    I did that to my brother once I was visiting him he had you know a son and a daughter they're about you know six and eight or something and I still my brother was doing something else in his house and I started talking about to my nephew and niece what my brother got up to when he was their age all the naughty things he did and they were really fascinated tell us some more about our dad because he never tells us that foreign and then he came into the room he said what are you telling my children I've been doing all these years trying to teach them not to do those things which he did himself and I knew because I was there at the time

    Open story page·Watch this telling

  • In the loving arms of another man's wife

    In brief: Ajahn Brahm 'confesses' that he spent some of the most wonderful times of his life in the loving arms of another man's wife: they kissed,…

    Read full story

    Many years ago, I made a confession that some years and years ago, I had some of the most wonderful time of my life in the loving arms of another man's wife. Honestly, she was married to somebody else. We kissed. We hugged. I loved her. She loved me. Shut up, Agent Bob. You're spoiling it. That was my mom. She was married to my dad. Okay. [laughter] I spent some of the most wonderful times of my life in the loving arms of another man's wife. That's true. I never lied with my [laughter] mother. I honestly I remember when I first told that here years and years ago a couple of the people they just walked out. They thought I can't trust this guy. [laughter] They didn't hear the full story. That was my mother. She was in the loving arms of another man's wife.

    Open story page·Watch this telling

  • Goat for dinner

    In brief: A mother-in-law coming to dinner asks her grandson what's on the menu. 'Goat,' he says — he overheard his father telling his uncle on the…

    Read full story

    about mother-in-law was coming over for dinner and so she asked her her grand her grandson so what we having for dinner and the grandson said we're having goat for dinner goat for dinner said the Mother-in-law yeah I just I just overheard my father talking to his to my uncle on the phone we're having the Old Goat for dinner

    Open story page·Watch this telling

  • The only one who knew the answer

    In brief: A boy tells his dad he was the only one in class who knew the right answer today. Surprised — usually it's detention — the proud father…

    Read full story

    Of course it's a joke about the kid who came home from school and he told, his dad said, “How did you go at school today, Son?” and his son said, “Dad,today teacher asked a question, “and I was the only one in class who knew the right answer,” and the father was both surprised and impressed, say, “Usually you get detention, usually you get extra homework, “just how come today, you know, you did so well?” and he said, “Oh well, I just knew the right answer, Dad.” Dad said, “I'm so proud of you,” and gave him a $20 note as a reward, trying to encourage him to be smart in the future. So as the kid took the $20 and walked out of the room, the dad said, “Oh, by the way, what question did your teacher ask?” “Who broke the window in the classroom?”

    Open story page·Watch this telling

All stories·Find a story for your situation