# The past is un-effable

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Analogy
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-past-is-uneffable
- Themes: regret, choices, language, humour
- Life situations: regretting a decision

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

He coins a word-play: instead of 'ineffable' (too deep for words), the past is 'un-effable' — you cannot 'if' your past. Stop rewriting old choices; make them work now.

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

IN-IF-ABLE, you can't IF the past. By that I mean you can't say "IF that, whoever it was, didn't get Covid or if they hadn't traveled or IF there was more tests or IF, you know, I wasn't busy this weekend or if, if, if." The past is "iniffable"

## Teaching point

Regret that says 'if only' is a waste; finished choices are to be lived forward.

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

The past, Ajahn Brahm says, is 'un-iffable': you can't 'if' it. If they hadn't travelled, if my girlfriend hadn't dumped me at nineteen. Who knows what would have happened? It might have been worse. Acknowledge, forgive, let go. This moment isn't perfect, but it's good enough to build a happy life on.

## Source

- [Flowing with Uncertainty | Ajahn Brahm | 23 April 2021](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnl34X-eDE8) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 41:09 to 41:36: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnl34X-eDE8&t=2469s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Choices | Ajahn Brahm | 22 April 2016](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOLJNX3y0-w) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 26:39 to 27:27: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOLJNX3y0-w&t=1599s
- [A Talk About Nothing | Ajahn Brahm | 16 July 2021](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u40j_OlBL2U) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:02:10 to 1:03:30: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u40j_OlBL2U&t=3730s