# 'Are you the YouTube monk?'

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-paddington-youtube-monk
- Themes: service, suicide prevention, gratitude, Dhamma sharing
- Life situations: separation, depression, suicidal thoughts, volunteering

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Walking through Paddington Station on his way to teach in Oxford, Ajahn Brahm is stopped by a woman running up: 'Are you the YouTube monk? ... Yes, you are.' She tells him that after separating from her long-term partner she became depressed and suicidal, and no doctor, psychologist or psychiatrist could help. At the end of her rope she found his talk 'Four Ways of Letting Go' on YouTube, listened to three or four talks one after another, and got through the crisis. 'Thank you so much for saving my life.'

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

Last time I was in the UK, just getting off the Underground, going to Paddington station to get to Oxford where I was going to give a talk. Just walking through Paddington Station, just minding my own business. And this woman came running towards me and said, "Are you the YouTube monk?" [laughter] That's what she called me "the YouTube monk". And then, I didn't have time to answer. She looked me in the face. "Yes, you are." And then she said, "I just want to say thank you to you. You saved my life". She was going through a divorce, oh not a divorce, a separation from her long term partner. And that she got really depressed, suicidal. Doctor couldn't help, psychologist couldn't help, psychiatrists, whoever she saw, none of them could help. And then she was just at the end of her rope, as they say; And then she just managed somehow or other, to get on YouTube. And I think she got that one of my famous talks 'four ways of letting go'. And she listened to it and "wow It made so much sense". She listed about three or four that time, one after the other. She said that got her through her crisis. She told all her friends, "You must go and listen to these things as well from the BSWA, all for free." And then, afterwards, she said, "Thank you Thank you so much for saving my life."

## Teaching point

Sharing the Dhamma — including the volunteers who put talks online — reaches people in ways we never see.

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

A woman ran up to Ajahn Brahm at Paddington Station to thank him; when no one else could help, his free talks online got her through a suicidal crisis. He passes the thanks on to every volunteer who put them there. Small, unseen service can reach someone at their darkest. If you're struggling, please reach out to a crisis line too.

## Source

- [The Fault Finding Mind | Ajahn Brahm | 7 May 2021](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bekYLQ5buRQ) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:18:27 to 1:20:04: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bekYLQ5buRQ&t=4707s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Building Resilience | Ajahn Brahm | 8 November 2019](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_znbRN8JRXw) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 22:11 to 24:20: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_znbRN8JRXw&t=1331s
- [Buddhism and Ghosts | Ajahn Brahm | 10 March 2023](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9fga9-6vFM) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:00:21 to 1:02:43: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9fga9-6vFM&t=3621s
- [Open Heart Surgery | Ajahn Brahm | 2 December 2022](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v95aoXbHAf0) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 22:09 to 22:45: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v95aoXbHAf0&t=1329s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 5 November 2022](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnvhZM8bIW4) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:13:59 to 1:14:52: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnvhZM8bIW4&t=4439s
- [Wholesome Family Relationships | Ajahn Brahm | 9 February 2024](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0Yy2sz47iY) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 36:51 to 40:06: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0Yy2sz47iY&t=2211s