# The man in the latex mask whose psoriasis cleared

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-psoriasis-rubber-mask-retreat
- Themes: illness, meditation, healing, letting go
- Life situations: chronic skin illness, medical despair, first retreat

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

At a North Perth / Redemptorist retreat centre near Northbridge a man arrived in a latex face mask — severe whole-body psoriasis; the mask stopped him scratching his face. Doctors had given up. He stayed the whole nine days; by the end the mask was off, face and chest clear, only an inch of rash around each ankle.

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

this guy came wearing a a latex rubber mask on his face. And I thought, "Oh my goodness, this is some weirdo from the red light district. He got the wrong place, sir." He said, "No, no, no." He said, "I've come on your retreat because he actually lifted up the face mask, had this terrible rash all over his face." And it was a warm day. He actually unbuttoned his shirt and showed me his chest. Had a rash all over his chest. He had psoriasis, quite severe, and he even lifted up the bottom of his trousers, he said. And the rash looked disgusting. He said, "This rash, this psoriasis is over my whole body, every square inch, and it just drives me crazy. The rubber mask is so I don't scratch the skin off my face." He said, "I tried everything. Nothing works. doctors have given up on me, but I can't stand it. So he said, "I've come on your retreat." He wasn't a Buddhist, at least not at the beginning anyway. I think it was at the end. He said, "I've come on your retreat to try something different to deal with this psoriasis all over. I can't even sleep at night." And he said, "If I don't stay for your talk, your introductory talk, please, it's nothing to do with you. It's just He was just so agitated 24/7. But he stayed not just for my opening talk. That gentleman stayed for the whole nine days. And at the end of his retreat, he came to see me. He wasn't wearing the rubber face mask anymore. This is no exaggeration. He was had this beautiful smile on his face and his skin on his face was clear. Not many people have celebrated by showing me their chest. That's what he did. Unbutton his shirt with a beautiful proud smile on his face. His chest was free of the rash and he lifted up you know his bottom of his trousers and there was rash around his ankles but everywhere else was gone. He said, "Look at that ajam brah. That's all that's left. Just maybe an inch around each ankle

## Teaching point

Letting go of ownership of the body can let healing work where force failed.

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

A man arrived at a retreat wearing a latex mask to stop himself scratching his psoriasis. By the end, he proudly showed Ajahn Brahm clear skin everywhere but his ankles. His story, not a promise or a substitute for treatment. Still, our bodies have ways of healing. Ease up on controlling them, and give them room.

## Source

- [Ownership and Anger| Ajahn Brahm | 14 February 2020](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adpMTYPFELs) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 24:46 to 27:18: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adpMTYPFELs&t=1486s

Other tellings of this story:

- [5 Types Of Religion](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd0O456LK2c) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 55:56 to 57:13: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd0O456LK2c&t=3356s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 14 December 2013](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZ3-hfncE5k) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:39 to 3:27: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZ3-hfncE5k&t=99s