# The mushy peas that exploded

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-mushy-peas-after-retreat
- Themes: mindfulness, meditation, retreat, senses
- Life situations: retreats, eating mindfully, dull routines

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Every year Ajahn Brahm spends 15 days alone in his cave, not talking, just meditating. On the first day out, the first spoonful of food at lunch — ordinary mushy peas — explodes with flavour like nothing he had ever tasted. His mindfulness had become so strong that anything, even a plain carrot, would have tasted intensely.

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

I did my 15-day retreat in my cave every year it's my holidays my vacation and of course no not giving any talks not talking not doing anything just meditating all day and every day for 15 days in a row not saying anything you get really deep meditation and of course after you get that you get really powerful mindfulness so the first day out lunchtime I always remember the first the first piece of food I put into my mouth was a spoonful of mushy peas and it was it exploded honestly it just wow that was such incredible flavor and taste I never ever tasted mushy peas like that all it was was that my mindfulness was so incredibly strong you could have tasted anything it tasted a carrot and that carrotness would be so intense just an ordinary carrot

## Teaching point

Deep meditation produces 'power mindfulness': the senses become vivid and ordinary things extraordinary.

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

After fifteen silent days in his cave, Ajahn Brahm's first spoonful of plain mushy peas exploded with flavour. Even a carrot would have tasted extraordinary. When mindfulness is strong, ordinary things become vivid. You don't need anything special to delight in life. Just a quieter, more attentive mind.

## Source

- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 7 Nov 2015](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27YDJMe9OP8) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:14:44 to 1:15:45: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27YDJMe9OP8&t=4484s