# The noisy breather on the Sydney retreat

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-retreat-nasal-tumour-pop
- Themes: healing, meditation, judgement, illness, hope
- Life situations: terminal cancer, judging others, meditation retreat

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

On a nine-day retreat in Sydney one man breathes so loudly that a meditator complains. Ajahn Brahm explains he has a terminal tumour blocking both nostrils and has come as a last resort — and the complainers feel ashamed. On the last day the man feels a 'pop' and can breathe for five or ten minutes. Ajahn Brahm doubts he'll survive, but years later a man in Sydney asks “Do you remember me?” — it is him, his cancer in regression, now teaching others to be peaceful.

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

At meditation retreats I always remember this one man when I was teaching a Meditation Retreat in Sydney many years ago and a 9-day retreat. You know that people are supposed to be quiet when they are meditating but this man (Ajahn breathing noisily) He was breathing so heavily through every meditation sitting so much so that someone came up to me to complain Can you please tell this person to keep quiet. I am trying to meditate. He had a tumor in his nasal passages blocking both nostrils. It was terminal; the doctor had given up surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy So the doctors have abandoned him and he came to the meditation retreat as a last resort So when I told all the meditators that, they felt very embarrassed and guilty that they were complaining about somebody who got only few weeks to live. He told me that; on the last day of the retreat (Ajahn making the sound) breathing loudly again but not thinking being silent; he had a 'pop' He said he could breath again. That's what he said 'a pop' as his nasal passage cleared but only for about 5 or 10 minutes then it closed again. That was an amazing thing which happened I thought that meditation was working but he left it a bit too late. I never thought he would survive. Few years later teaching meditation in Sydney, this guy came up to me 'do you remember me?' I said 'of course I don't remember, who are you? ' As a monk I am honest He was that man. He cared with his meditation and his nose had cleared and now he was going around teaching people how to be peaceful, how to be silent. because his cancer had got into regression even though he should have been dead years ago.

## Teaching point

Silence and stillness give the body a chance to rebalance and heal.

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

On a Sydney retreat, one man's loud breathing drew a complaint, until everyone learned a terminal tumour was blocking his nose. Years later he reappeared, well and teaching meditation himself. That's one remarkable story, not a cure, and treatment belongs with doctors. The plainer lessons: quiet gives body and mind room to settle, and knowing more makes judging less.

## Source

- [The Power of Silence | Ajahn Brahm | 12-12-2008](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWtLQ_ho63M) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 26:35 to 29:01: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWtLQ_ho63M&t=1595s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Our Mind and Our Health | Ajahn Brahm | 7 July 2023](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irCk-DJXisM) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 18:15 to 22:07: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irCk-DJXisM&t=1095s
- [Why? Is an Important Question to Ask | Ajahn Brahm | 1 January 2021](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3v0vceM7-0) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 13:18 to 20:48: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3v0vceM7-0&t=798s
- [Grant Yourself a Moment of Peace | Ajahn Brahm | 11 April 2025](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZvNc4BpW_Q) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 43:46 to 44:49: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZvNc4BpW_Q&t=2626s
- [Creating Happiness for 2011 | Ajahn Brahm | 31-12-2010](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtS8ntxJdNs) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 39:23 to 42:23: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtS8ntxJdNs&t=2363s
- [Generosity and Kindness | Ajahn Brahm | 13 January 2023](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVzsAkIQi1Q) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 22:47 to 25:45: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVzsAkIQi1Q&t=1367s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 17 April 2021](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpyiaAJ_1qk) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:19:05 to 1:21:09: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpyiaAJ_1qk&t=4745s
- [Unconditional Love | Ajahn Brahm | 14 February 2025](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEv5jWHdXhQ) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 59:16 to 1:02:16: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEv5jWHdXhQ&t=3556s
- [Letting Go | Ajahn Brahm | 15 May 2026](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PegeDdxN3WI) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 33:36 to 35:49: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PegeDdxN3WI&t=2016s
- [Understanding is more important - Armadale Meditation Group | Ajahn Brahm | 1 November 2022](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJGIJLo5srM) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:04:31 to 1:06:29: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJGIJLo5srM&t=3871s
- [Sorry | Ajahn Brahm | 25 June 2021](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_oPsdTBwcU) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 7:26 to 8:29: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_oPsdTBwcU&t=446s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 8 July 2023](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BSTZS4VF7Q) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:21:43 to 1:22:31: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BSTZS4VF7Q&t=4903s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 6 February 2021](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6ljEj2kews) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:12:00 to 1:15:15: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6ljEj2kews&t=4320s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 14 January 2023](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2Jdee1LDrw) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:10:39 to 1:11:04: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2Jdee1LDrw&t=4239s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 22 February 2020](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFdY1r5FvL8) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:06:26 to 1:10:07: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFdY1r5FvL8&t=3986s
- [Sức mạnh của sự im lặng | Ajahn Brahm | 12-12-2008](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TExC5PlltSk) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 26:47 to 29:05: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TExC5PlltSk&t=1607s