# No electricity on the big day

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-power-outage-retreat-ceremony
- Themes: adaptability, uncertainty, acceptance
- Life situations: event goes wrong, power cut, plans disrupted

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

On the morning of the ceremony starting the rains retreat at Bodhinyana — the monastery's second-biggest day, with many guests coming — Ajahn Brahm comes out of meditation at 6:30 to find a power cut on a freezing day: no heaters, no tea, no lights. Instead of worrying he embraces it; it reminds him of the monastery's early days 28 years before, with candles and a gas stove.

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

last Sunday we had to be ceremony abode jnana monastery in certain time start of arranged retreat we'd all been organizing this got all these people coming and when I actually I got up very early but when I came out of meditation at 6:30 no electricity the power outage on the biggest day of art not yet second biggest day of our year in the monastery no electricity it was freezing cold we won't be able to turn on any heaters won't be able to make cups of tea for people there'll be no lighting you know I never thought like that at all I thought what a wonderful thing let's embrace it it reminded us of the the first time is 28 years reading I'm honestly the first time we didn't have any electricity we just use candles or just no get a gas stove to heat up the water in it just nice we were just at that a lot of times when you adapt it becomes much more enjoyable

## Teaching point

When you adapt instead of insisting on the plan, things become more enjoyable.

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

On one of the monastery's biggest days, Ajahn Brahm came out of meditation to a power cut on a freezing morning: no heaters, no tea, no lights. Instead of fretting, he enjoyed the candles and gas stove that recalled the early years. When things don't run to schedule, stop insisting and adapt. The muddle often becomes the best part.

## Source

- [Uncertainty | Ajahn Brahm | 15-07-2011](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pswsVGVdISY) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 38:56 to 40:08: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pswsVGVdISY&t=2336s