# “I can't understand Thai ghosts”

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-not-afraid-of-thai-ghosts
- Themes: fear, ghosts, humour, death
- Life situations: fear of ghosts, funerals

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

At an open-air cremation in Thailand (of Ajahn Chah's brother, he thinks) all the monks leave as soon as the chanting ends. The young Ajahn Brahm says he'll go and sit by the fire alone. 'Aren't you afraid of the ghosts?' 'No — I can't understand Thai.'

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

When I remember I just went uh Ajahn Chah's I think his brother died when I first went up to to Thailand and they did this open cremation. And so, it's after they they had all the monks around the fire and we all did the chanting and as soon as we could, all the monks left. Then afterwards, I said, "Oh, I'm just going to go by the fire." They said, "You go by the fire?" I said, "Yeah." They said, "Alone?" I said, "Yeah." "Aren't you afraid of the ghosts?" I said, "No, I'm not afraid of the ghosts. I can't understand Thai." Cuz even if the ghost goes something in Thai, I don't know what they're talking about. So, what's the point of being afraid? Is that the case that Thai ghosts only speak in Thai? And Sri Lankans only in Sinhalese? So, if it's a Western ghost and you don't understand English, you've got nothing to worry about

## Teaching point

(Humour about fear of ghosts.)

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

Everyone fled the cremation ground once the chanting ended, but the young Western monk stayed by the fire. Afraid of ghosts? No, he said; he couldn't understand Thai. Much of our fear is like that, built from stories we tell ourselves. A little humour can show how flimsy some of them are.

## Source

- [Sex and Booze | Ajahn Brahm | 01-07-2011](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKQfkUXfx4Y) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 32:53 to 33:44: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKQfkUXfx4Y&t=1973s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Dealing With Anxiety | Ajahn Brahm | 31 January 2020](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MRPqISIZ3M) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 40:41 to 41:21: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MRPqISIZ3M&t=2441s