# The pound note that blew into the fire

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-pound-note-in-fire
- Themes: poverty, family, money
- Life situations: financial hardship, growing up poor, money worries

## Synopsis (editorial 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.

## 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

## Teaching point

He learned how much money can mean; yet his parents, though poor, had time and love, and weren't stressed.

## 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.

## Source

- [Stress - Overreaction to Life | Ajahn Brahm | 9 March 2018](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEpeaWywKi4) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 18:19 to 19:11: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEpeaWywKi4&t=1099s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Being Afraid | Ajahn Brahm | 16 March 2018](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYHTHj4PGPU) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 54:03 to 54:36: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYHTHj4PGPU&t=3243s