# Roy Hudd remembered Dan Leno's house

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-roy-hudd-dan-leno-past-life
- Themes: rebirth, memory, entertainment, prejudice
- Life situations: curious about past lives

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

English comedian Roy Hudd, lost in a new one-way system after a London show, turns down a street he has never seen in this life and recalls living there before — as music-hall star Dan Leno, whose blue plaque is on the house. He walks the owners through and points to where a door should be; plans later confirm it. Ajahn Brahm adds he was told the devout-Catholic head of ITV then stopped employing Hudd over the reincarnation article.

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

this fellow called Roy Hudd You can get him on the internet R o y second name H U D D He was a TV personality when I was growing up in the U.K. He was always on the TV, comedian a very funny guy but his story was that he has been doing that show in London somewhere at a time when the local government installed a new one way system to try and get the traffic to move a bit more clearly or smoothly and because some usual roots were blocked he got lost he was driving around, he got lost he didn't know the way to get home getting more and more lost, he turned a corner and that's when it happened The hairs on the back of his head stood up now that never happens to a monk because we don't have hairs But anyway, he still felt this is weird, this is strange and it was just so weird, so strange he had never been down this street before in this life! But he remembered it from his previous life And it all flooded back to him And he went to the house where he lived for many many years before now in those houses and those places in London they have the little blue circular disks which shows who lived there before and very interestingly, the last time I was in London close to Russels Square there is a big disk in there In this house lived the mistress of Charles II the mistress, that wasn't very nice but she was famous enough they put it on there So be very careful what you do because sometimes you know if you are... Anyway back to this there was a big blue sign outside the house because in his past life, he was also a celebrity and his past life was as; probably the most famous music hall entertainer of his generation in the times when people would go not to pubs or clubs it was like the music hall where lots of bear, entertainers his name was Dan Leno L E N O and that was a plaque which he said he recognized that was his house before and he knocked on the door and his people opened the door "you are Roy Hudd, we know you we see you on the Telly What are you doing here?" At which he told them He lived here before You haven't lived here before we have been living in this house for 30, 40 years But I was here before you! And because he was well known, recognized they let him into the house he took them all around the house showing what it was like before He remembered, very clear memory even where he did his rehearsing in one of those rooms in front of the mirror So that was a memory from a very well-known personality And now he has written books about Dan Leno supposed to be historical books where he has information which you cannot get from any other source except if you have been there before

## Teaching point

Spontaneous past-life recall can preserve character across lives; institutions may punish such claims.

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

Lost in London, comedian Roy Hudd turned into an unfamiliar street and remembered living there as music-hall star Dan Leno, even pointing out where a missing door had been. Believe it or not, Ajahn Brahm finds the idea striking. Our character carries forward. It's worth choosing the qualities you build now.

## Source

- [Ajahn Brahm explains stories of past lives | Dhamma Short](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Vh-tgtMF7M) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:40 to 5:53: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Vh-tgtMF7M&t=100s

Other tellings of this story:

- [How To See Past Lives & Why Its Important | Ajahn Brahm](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4BFX_qhhyk) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:01 to 4:05: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4BFX_qhhyk&t=61s
- [Past Life Personality | Ajahn Brahm | 26 January 2018](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNlm0UmrcZ8) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 8:59 to 10:57: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNlm0UmrcZ8&t=539s
- [Investigate Your Way to Freedom | Ajahn Brahm | 19 Dec 2008](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKKGmoXR2QE) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 34:23 to 36:45: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKKGmoXR2QE&t=2063s
- [Ajahn Brahm menceritakan tentang kehidupan lampau.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vrTyMkWhCc) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:36 to 6:08: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vrTyMkWhCc&t=96s