# The celebratory pork curry that ended his enlightenment

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-satori-pork-curry-not-enlightened
- Themes: enlightenment, ego, food, monastery life, insight
- Life situations: spiritual pride, false certainty, disappointment

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

After four years as a monk Ajahn Brahm had a great satori and thought he was enlightened. That morning, instead of the usual rotten fish curry, there was rare pork curry from town — he took it as heavenly beings celebrating. As number-two monk he watched the local head monk ladle himself huge servings of the pork, then pour the rest into the rotten fish curry, stir, and say 'it's all the same'. Brahm was furious: if it was all the same, why mix it after taking his own? An arahant would not care about food — so he realised he was not fully enlightened after all. The energy and imperturbability lasted a while, then faded.

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

When I had my great Satori experience Four years as a monk and everything became really clear I really thought I was Enlightened You can read the whole story, it's very self deprecating until the food came that morning usually we have rotten fish curry for that morning there was another pot of curry It was actually... sorry if you are vegetarian there was no vegetarian food around in Thailand those days and the other food was like a pork curry from town we never have that that is really rare and straight away I thought the heavenly beings are also celebrating my Enlightenment I thought wow this is great because that's such a rare event and I was number two monk and the head monk a local boy actually from that local village he should have liked the rotten fish curry he grew up on it that was a local dish and he never took any rotten fish curry He took -- incredible big ladles no one could eat that much of the pork curry He sloshed it into his bowl. I wasn't concerned about that because there was plenty left you know of the pork curry but what he did next was absolutely unforgivable he took what was left of the pork curry and he poured it into the rotten fish curry; stirred it up and said it's all the same, it's all the same What a hypocrite, if it was all the same why didn't he pour it in and mix it up before he took his and he spoiled my celebratory meal for being .. Arahant doesn't worry about food. That was ... oh no... I am not fully enlightened after all but I really felt like it for a long time had all the.... no sloth and torpor, incredible energy absolutely imperturbable that was great Shame it didn't last that long So that is what these satoris are And the only way you can find out if it is the real thing if it really persist over years So just one great insight not enough

## Teaching point

One great insight is not enough; if it does not persist — and especially if a spoiled meal can still upset you — it was not enlightenment.

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

Four years a monk, Ajahn Brahm had a great insight and thought he was enlightened, until he watched the head monk tip leftover pork curry into the rotten fish curry and fumed. An awakened mind wouldn't mind about lunch. One big breakthrough isn't the end. What truly lasts shows over years.

## Source

- [Word of the Buddha (Part 1) | Ajahn Brahm | 27 November 2016](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TZfyq1XTd0) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:20:34 to 1:22:47: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TZfyq1XTd0&t=4834s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Winning and Losing | Ajahn Brahm | 02-07-2010](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo7fnJ4DYLk) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 38:03 to 43:34: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo7fnJ4DYLk&t=2283s
- [MN111 Anupada Sutta - Step by Step | Ajahn Brahm | 13 January 2019](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MizVrlCNjkU) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:15:19 to 1:15:40: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MizVrlCNjkU&t=4519s
- [MN68: Naḷakapānasutta - At Naḷakapāna | Ajahn Brahm | 26 June 2022](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFUqtUW67Uk) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 36:07 to 36:56: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFUqtUW67Uk&t=2167s