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Story · Ajahn Brahm

“Please don't die during our retreat”

As told by Ajahn Brahm in Uncertainty | Ajahn Brahm | 15-07-2011

1 min read

The story — as told by Ajahn Brahm (verbatim captions)

I made an announcement last week please don't die during our retreat because if you do I have to come out of the retreat and do your funeral service for you and that breaks my meditation so just out of respect and out of kindness can you please delay your death and to the least know October or or even better November so of course there's a there's always karmic consequences when I say city jokes like that because on Monday I got an email one of my disciples died then he left it for one day and so all my plans of what I was supposed to do on Tuesday and Wednesday were thrown into turmoil as I had to go to Singapore for their funeral so on Tuesday morning at one o'clock in the morning I had to take the flight and I came back on Wednesday afternoon just you know 20 less than 24 hours in Singapore to help with the funeral service

▶ Watch Ajahn Brahm tell it from 1:16 (to 2:19)

A reflection (in the spirit of Ajahn Brahm's talk)

Ajahn Brahm jokingly asked everyone to postpone dying until after the rains retreat, so funerals wouldn't break his meditation. Within days a disciple died, and he was on an overnight flight to Singapore for the service. Plans are worth making, but life keeps the final say. Build in slack, and when the call comes, go kindly.

In brief (our summary)

At the start of the rains retreat Ajahn Brahm jokingly asks everyone not to die until October or November, since funerals break his meditation. On Monday an email arrives: one of his disciples has died. His plans are thrown into turmoil, and at one in the morning on Tuesday he flies to Singapore, spending less than 24 hours there to help with the funeral.

Teaching point

You cannot control your future; the one thing you can be certain of is uncertainty.

When this story may help

Themes

Source & credit

Told by Ajahn Brahm in Uncertainty | Ajahn Brahm | 15-07-2011 · 2011-07-16 · ▶ watch from 1:16 to 2:19 · Buddhist Society of Western Australia

1 other telling of this story

Caption notes: YouTube auto-captions: unpunctuated, words left exactly as captioned. 'city jokes' = silly jokes (probable; not changed).

The narrative is Ajahn Brahm's own telling, quoted from the talk captions. The summary and reflection are Being Mindful Stories's editorial notes. Please credit the teacher and link the original talk. Markdown version

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