# Penance: a carrot for the rabbit

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-rabbit-carrot-penance
- Themes: self-punishment, kindness, mistakes, animals
- Life situations: guilt over a small mistake, harsh self-criticism, low self-worth

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

A postulant who broke a minor precept is very upset with himself and asks for a penance. Ajahn Brahm tells him to take a carrot from the kitchen to the hungry wild rabbit sheltering from the heat by the Japanese garden at Jhana Grove — which guzzles it.

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

a beautiful little wild rabbit at our Jhana Grove retreat centre turned up a few days ago. And one of the Anagarika's broken a little precept. And he's really upset about himself. And so I said, I'll give you a penance. So what's the penance? What do I have to do? There's a, there's a hungry rabbit over in Jhana Grove, go and take a carrot from the kitchen and go and give it to the rabbit. It's a wonderful little thing, a little wild rabbit is just hiding there. Because it's really hot in the forest. Next to the wall by the Japanese garden, those of you who know Jhana Grove, he's just been hanging out there to get away from the heat of the forest. And so just go out to him and just give him a carrot. And it's just so cute. And you know, even if you're a multiple murderer, it will soften you just seeing a little rabbit, just twitching its little face, and smelling the rabbit and then really getting into it. And apparently, he eats it really fast. It's a very guzzly rabbit.

## Teaching point

Small acts of kindness soften self-hatred and open the heart; then you can list your good qualities.

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

He wanted to be punished for breaking a small rule; his penance was carrying a carrot to a hungry wild rabbit. Watching it guzzle softens even a harsh heart. When you're beating yourself up, do one small kind thing and write it down. The second good thing comes more easily, and you may find you're not such a bad person after all.

## Source

- [How to deal with rejection and lack of self-worth | Ajahn Brahm | 30-01-2015](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enFEj7wKrnM) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 21:21 to 22:33: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enFEj7wKrnM&t=1281s