# The number-two monk who had to become abbot

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-number-two-monk-became-abbot
- Themes: plans, change, leadership, acceptance
- Life situations: unwanted promotion, leadership responsibility, plans falling through

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Ajahn Brahm planned to stay number two behind Ajahn Jagaro — 'the car at the front of the convoy gets all the bugs on the windscreen' — until the head monk fell in love and left, and he had to take over.

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

I never wanted to be an abbot. I never wanted to be a boss monk. I had it all worked out when I was a young because there was another monk here, Ajahn Jagaro before and I was number two. It was perfect. I always say it's a car in front of the convoy that gets all the bugs on the windscreen. The one going behind is free of the bugs. So I always had the idea of being number two, tailgating another person. Who wants to be a leader anyway? Anyone who's a leader is just a dummy. Anyone who wants to be prime minister? That's why if you want to be a prime minister or a president, you must want your head examined. It's much better being number two or number three or four, whatever, because that way you don't have to be out front taking all the flak and making all the hard decisions and stuff. But anyway, it didn't work out that way. Because I was number two, tailgating, and then the head monk fell in love and left. I ended up being, basically that's what happened. So it ended up me having to take over.

## Teaching point

Plans rarely work out; adapt with kindness instead of being disappointed.

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

He meant to stay number two, safely behind the windscreen that collects all the bugs, until the head monk fell in love and left. His plans never work out, he says, so he adapts. Life rarely follows our five-year plan. Hold yours loosely, meet each turn with kindness, and you'll spend far less of it disappointed.

## Source

- [Don't Be Disappointed | Ajahn Brahm | 29-01-2010](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmlQ9qGomG0) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 44:22 to 45:28: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmlQ9qGomG0&t=2662s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Success Without Stress | by Ajahn Brahm | 24 February 2012](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZvrIUmUbqw) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 36:12 to 36:52: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZvrIUmUbqw&t=2172s
- [Decisions, Decisions, Decisions | Ajahn Brahm | 9 May 2008](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOJVD0Lh-ZU) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 17:06 to 17:59: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOJVD0Lh-ZU&t=1026s
- [Friday Night Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 12 April 2019](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuRAcMjVqgs) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 46:29 to 46:50: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuRAcMjVqgs&t=2789s
- [Menghadapi Situasi yang Sulit Dalam Hidup | Ajahn Brahm | 6 October 2017](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCOm9Cy50Cc) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 33:00 to 33:18: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCOm9Cy50Cc&t=1980s