Story · Ajahn Brahm
The pound note that blew into the fire
The story — as told by Ajahn Brahm (verbatim captions)
that I would do remember once that there must have been at nine or ten or eleven that my we were Legitimately poor because my father put a 1 pound note on this shelf above the coal fire They didn't have electric fires just have coal now to keep you warm during the really freezing winters and This mother was sitting down their kids were myself and my brother doing homework or something I don't know how this happened, but a gust of air Just took that one pound note and it fell into the fireplace and started burning And my father just tried to get it out. He burned his hand and my mother's just started crying. Oh weeping That was so much for them
▶ Watch Ajahn Brahm tell it from 18:19 (to 19:11)
A reflection (in the spirit of Ajahn Brahm's talk)
One gust of wind and the family's pound note was in the fire; his father burned his hand and his mother wept. They were truly poor, and money mattered. Yet what he remembers is that his parents had time, to talk and to watch him play football. When money is tight, time and attention are still yours to give.
In brief (our summary)
In his poor London childhood, a gust blows his father's one-pound note off the shelf into the coal fire; his father burns his hand trying to save it and his mother weeps — it was so much money to them.
Teaching point
He learned how much money can mean; yet his parents, though poor, had time and love, and weren't stressed.
When this story may help
- financial hardship
- growing up poor
- money worries
Themes
Source & credit
Told by Ajahn Brahm in Stress - Overreaction to Life | Ajahn Brahm | 9 March 2018 · 2018-03-18 · ▶ watch from 18:19 to 19:11 · Buddhist Society of Western Australia
1 other telling of this story
- Being Afraid | Ajahn Brahm | 16 March 2018 · 2018-03-18 · ▶ watch from 54:03 to 54:36 · Buddhist Society of Western AustraliaMar 2018 telling (Q&A on financial fear): his father burns his hand trying to save the note; his mother bursts into tears; he adds that after his father's death when he was 16 his mother 'blossomed' (outside the span).
Caption notes: Captions are unpunctuated with many mis-hearings although TubeAlfred marks them non-auto; words left as captioned.
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