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Story · Ajahn Brahm

No Sex in the Monastery

As told by Ajahn Brahm in Being Afraid | Ajahn Brahm | 16 March 2018

1 min read

Content note: named celebrity; second-hand report that she read his book (unverified)

The story — as told by Ajahn Brahm (verbatim captions)

some years ago somebody told me that uh Sarah Jessica Parker from Sex in a City. She was seen in a coffee shop in United States reading my book Open the Door of Your Heart. She was a Buddhist. She was a follower. So I thought, "Wow, if Sarah Jessica Parker of Sex in the City was one of my disciples, it was only a matter of time that I get a cameo invited to actually to come in to one of her episodes." And I thought that would be really interesting. Aan Brown in one of the episodes in Sex in the City. And then I started thinking, what would it be like? I I I wouldn't mind doing anything. Just within reason, not breaking my precepts. We'd have to change the episode title to instead of Sex in the City, No Sex in the Monastery. And then I thought, hang on, I don't think anyone would tune into that episode cuz I know human nature. So So that was the end of that idea.

▶ Watch Ajahn Brahm tell it from 3:00 (to 4:15)

A reflection (in the spirit of Ajahn Brahm's talk)

Hearing that Sarah Jessica Parker had been seen reading his book, Ajahn Brahm imagined a cameo, retitled 'No Sex in the Monastery', then admitted no one would watch. Being able to laugh at your own daydreams of fame is healthy. What sells and what brings peace are rarely the same thing.

In brief (our summary)

Someone told him Sarah Jessica Parker had been seen in a US coffee shop reading Opening the Door of Your Heart. He imagined it was only a matter of time before he got a cameo in Sex and the City — within his precepts, of course. They'd have to retitle the episode 'No Sex in the Monastery'. Then he realised, knowing human nature, nobody would tune in. End of idea.

Teaching point

A light aside: what sells isn't what brings peace.

When this story may help

Themes

Source & credit

Told by Ajahn Brahm in Being Afraid | Ajahn Brahm | 16 March 2018 · 2018-03-18 · ▶ watch from 3:00 to 4:15 · Buddhist Society of Western Australia

1 other telling of this story

Caption notes: YouTube auto-captions: unpunctuated, words left exactly as captioned.

The narrative is Ajahn Brahm's own telling, quoted from the talk captions. The summary and reflection are Being Mindful Stories's editorial notes. Please credit the teacher and link the original talk. Markdown version

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