# The nail that didn't hurt until someone said so

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-nail-in-foot-alms-round
- Themes: pain, perception, emotions, suggestion
- Life situations: injury, trauma, others' sympathy making things worse

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

On alms round in Thailand Ajahn Brahm steps on a nail that goes a couple of inches into his foot. It doesn't hurt — until the monk with him says, “Oh, that's terrible.” Then it starts hurting.

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

stepping on a nail - it went about two inches into my foot! It's a long way, a big 4 inch nail, it went right inside my foot! It didn't hurt at all! until somebody said "Wow that's terrible!!" and as soon as they said that it started to hurt

## Teaching point

Be careful how we impose emotions on others by telling them how they should feel.

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

On alms round, Ajahn Brahm stepped on a nail that went deep into his foot. It didn't hurt, until another monk cried that it looked terrible; then it hurt. Much of our pain comes from what we expect and add on. Be careful telling people how they should feel. Your words shape what they experience.

## Source

- [How to deal with chronic pain | Ajahn Brahm | 04-07-2014](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=As9jmZBCUWU) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 4:59 to 5:18: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=As9jmZBCUWU&t=299s

Other tellings of this story:

- [I Don't Own My Past | by Ajahn Brahm | 03 May 2013](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcSaCfuH-GU) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 53:08 to 53:27: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcSaCfuH-GU&t=3188s
- [Confidence, Fear and Anxiety | Ajahn Brahm | 28 January 2022](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnYwHoYJID8) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 44:10 to 45:00: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnYwHoYJID8&t=2650s
- [Dhammapada First Line (Mind) | Ajahn Brahm | 24 Feb 2017](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLZNr1upgTE) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 25:44 to 26:27: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLZNr1upgTE&t=1544s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 17 April 2021](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpyiaAJ_1qk) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:13:08 to 1:13:58: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpyiaAJ_1qk&t=4388s