# Mrs. Calm and Mr. Insight climb the hill

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-mrs-samatha-mr-vipassana-hill
- Themes: meditation, calm, insight
- Life situations: confusion about meditation methods, spiritual practice

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Mrs. Samatha (calm) climbs a hill for its peace; her husband Mr. Vipassana (insight) climbs it for the view. At the top she finds the view too, and he finds the peace — on the hilltop the two always coexist (with a joke when he muddles their genders).

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

Once upon a time, Mrs. Samata that means calm and her husband Mr. Insight, Mr. Whipasa decided to go on a walk up a hill. Mrs. Samita, Mrs. calm went up to the top of the hill cuz it was so peaceful on top of that hill and Mr. Weipasa her husband Mr. Insight he went up there because he had a beautiful view on top of the hill now they both went up there for different reasons but when Mr. Sam got up the top of the hill Mr or Mrs. Yeah, you'll know what I mean. They had a sex change halfway up the hill. Probably they went Mrs. Sam go the right way. Mrs. Sam, Mrs. Peace got to the top of the hill. Oh, she enjoyed the peace. It was so calm on top of the hill away from the town and the city and the roads. But it was not only calm up there, she saw the view as well. And when Mason, Mr. Insight, when he got to the top of the hill, oh, he enjoyed the view cuz that's what he went up there for. But you also experience a beautiful peace because on the top of the hill the peace and the view always coexist.

## Teaching point

Calm and insight meditation are not two different paths; deep peace and clear seeing come together.

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

Mrs Calm climbed the hill for the peace, Mr Insight for the view, and at the top each found both. Ajahn Brahm says the arguments over which meditation is better miss this. Wanting leads to frustration; letting go leads to peace and clear seeing together. Stop doing, and you reach the top.

## Source

- [Building a House of Peace | Ajahn Brahm | 13-04-2007](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxK7iqG2XQA) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 29:45 to 31:13: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxK7iqG2XQA&t=1785s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 25 November 2023](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQ9rQvLo_rY) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 4:20 to 5:20: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQ9rQvLo_rY&t=260s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 9 December 2017](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=py-CgMk-5u4) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 2:33 to 3:16: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=py-CgMk-5u4&t=153s
- [AN4.163 Asubha Sutta & AN9.37 Ananda Sutta | Ajahn Brahm | 9 June 2019](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-qy-xYYsZw) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 41:16 to 46:12: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-qy-xYYsZw&t=2476s