# He forgot to pre-program coming out

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-retreat-monk-sat-eight-days
- Themes: meditation, humour, retreat
- Life situations: retreat, deep meditation

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Eastern-states monk leads a 9-day retreat; after first sit he never opens his eyes — yogis go to bed, chant, eat around him. He sits eight days without toilet/food/drink; emerges apologising — forgot to pre-program the exit. Yogis inspired anyway.

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

He was leading a 9-day meditation retreat and it started off on a Friday afternoon and everyone came and they checked into the meditation retreat center and after checking in and doing the getting their rooms and getting the initial briefing they went to have half an hour meditation followed by the first talk by this monk and after the half an hour meditation the monk hadn't opened opened his eyes. So they went off for another half an hour just meditating. And after another hour, the monk was just sitting there, hadn't moved. And by about 9 or 10:00, the monk still hadn't opened his eyes to start the the first talk. So you know what they did? They all went to bed. When they got up in the morning for the first bit of chanting or morning meditation, the monk hadn't moved, was still there. When it came to the breakfast, the monk didn't ring the gong. He was just sitting there. And the morning talk, the monk just sat there. Lunchtime, the monk never moved. He sat there for 8 days without going to toilet, without eating anything, drinking anything, not moving at all

## Teaching point

Deep peace is possible — and still needs a kindly exit plan.

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

A monk leading a nine-day retreat sat down for the first session and didn't move for eight days, no food, no talks. He came out apologising: he'd forgotten to set when to come out. The retreatants were simply inspired. Deep peace is possible. Just remember to tell yourself when to return, or the caretakers will carry you out.

## Source

- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 6 April 2019](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jhCWdmPx4U) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 15:02 to 16:25: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jhCWdmPx4U&t=902s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Vesak and Inspiration | Ajahn Brahm | 21 May 2021](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0y85OWhID1c) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 27:51 to 28:35: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0y85OWhID1c&t=1671s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 6 February 2021](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6ljEj2kews) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:06:38 to 1:08:03: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6ljEj2kews&t=3998s
- [Meditation 28-07-2012](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=To5ECGeKKiY) (DhammalokaMeditation) — watch from 1:16:30 to 1:17:33: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=To5ECGeKKiY&t=4590s