Story · Ajahn Brahm
Mum kissed his scraped knee better
The story — as told by Ajahn Brahm (verbatim captions)
used to play soccer in the streets in London if I fell over I scraped the skin from my knees I'd run to my mother crying and all she would do is kneel down and kiss it better it worked every time
▶ Watch Ajahn Brahm tell it from 26:23 (to 26:50)
A reflection (in the spirit of Ajahn Brahm's talk)
When young Ajahn Brahm scraped his knees playing football in a London street, he'd run crying to his mum, and she'd kneel and kiss it better. It worked every time. Kindness eased the pain. Bring that kindness to your own body as you scan it in meditation. Tense places soften and release when they're met gently.
In brief (our summary)
As a boy playing soccer in the London streets he falls, scrapes the skin off his knees, and runs to his mother crying. She kneels down and kisses it better — and it works every time. Kindness, he says, was enough to take the pain away.
Teaching point
Sometimes the body eases because it has been met with kindness, not because the wound has vanished.
When this story may help
Themes
Source & credit
Told by Ajahn Brahm in Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 20 January 2024 · 2024-01-20 · ▶ watch from 26:23 to 26:50 · Buddhist Society of Western Australia
2 other tellings of this story
- Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 7 February 2026 · 2026-02-07 · ▶ watch from 27:48 to 28:39 · Buddhist Society of Western AustraliaFeb 2026: soccer in the street at five or six; Mum inspects the wound, kisses it better, and the pain goes — kindness as the great panacea.
- Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 14 February 2026 · 2026-02-14 · ▶ watch from 23:31 to 24:19 · Buddhist Society of Western AustraliaFeb 2026: soccer in the street, blood on the knee, Mum kisses it better — 'a mouth full of germs' — kindness as the best painkiller.
Caption notes: YouTube auto-captions: unpunctuated, 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