# Mum kissed his scraped knee better

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-mum-kissed-his-scraped-knee
- Themes: childhood, kindness, mother, healing, london
- Life situations: childhood, family, practice

## Synopsis (editorial 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.

## 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

## Teaching point

Sometimes the body eases because it has been met with kindness, not because the wound has vanished.

## 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.

## Source

- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 20 January 2024](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLN6fGv2BJ0) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 26:23 to 26:50: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLN6fGv2BJ0&t=1583s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 7 February 2026](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pU5c9FkL1hM) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 27:48 to 28:39: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pU5c9FkL1hM&t=1668s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 14 February 2026](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWVWUYrKJTs) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 23:31 to 24:19: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWVWUYrKJTs&t=1411s