# The bomb next door in the Blitz

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-mother-blitz-bomb-next-door
- Themes: war, fear, kindness, resilience, family
- Life situations: living through a crisis, fear during a pandemic, danger

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

During the London Blitz a bomb falls right next to the terraced house where Ajahn Brahm's mother and grandmother are. The neighbours, only five or six metres away, are killed instantly; his mother's arm is lacerated — she hardly remembers it. Yet his family said those were some of the most wonderful times: even with so many dying, there was so much kindness, help and even joy.

## The story, as told by Ajahn Brahm (verbatim captions)

Even my family, parents and grandparents would tell me about life in London during the Second World War during the Blitz where a bomb fell right next to a terrace house. The next terrace house where my mother and grandma were. People in the next house are neighbors. They were instantly killed. My mother had her arm lacerated. She hardly remembers it, but it did happen apparently. And these were the old terrace houses which was only maybe what maybe 5 mters wide, 6 m wide to the next house. And they said there were some of the most wonderful times when even though many people were dying, there's so much kindness and help and joy and even joy as well.

## Teaching point

You can live fully, with kindness and joy, even under fear of death.

## Reflection (in the spirit of Ajahn Brahm's talk)

A bomb killed the neighbours a few metres away, yet his mother's family remembered the Blitz as some of their most wonderful times, full of kindness, help and even joy. Fear of death doesn't have to stop living. Whatever threat hangs over your days, care for each other and live fully anyway.

## Source

- [The Nature of Your Mind | Ajahn Brahm | 8 May 2020](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilmc6aO6ElM) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 59:24 to 1:00:18: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilmc6aO6ElM&t=3564s

Other tellings of this story:

- [How to Deal with Difficulties | Ajahn Brahm | 29 April 2022](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teELqB3MAG4) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 57:56 to 58:42: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teELqB3MAG4&t=3476s
- [Living Without Blame | Ajahn Brahm | 05-12-2014](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MR5c4h7Tmo0) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 29:25 to 30:33: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MR5c4h7Tmo0&t=1765s
- [Let's Talk About Old Age | Ajahn Brahm | 17 May 2019](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGwf48aokyE) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 22:56 to 23:51: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGwf48aokyE&t=1376s
- [Harmony | Ajahn Brahm | 14-11-2008](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFY_AY2dB9s) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 26:57 to 28:25: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFY_AY2dB9s&t=1617s
- [New Year's Eve with Ajahn Brahm | 31 December 2023](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rk6GJ499J5k) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 29:57 to 30:42: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rk6GJ499J5k&t=1797s
- [Dealing with disasters | by Ajahn Brahm | 1 May 2015](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ex3qPBa83hQ) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:37 to 3:01: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ex3qPBa83hQ&t=97s