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Story · Ajahn Brahm

The tired schoolteacher on alms round

As told by Ajahn Brahm in Lower Your Expectations | Ajahn Brahm | 24 Nov 2017

2 min read

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

he came to visit me in thailand many many years ago and he was he became like a school teacher and i was a monk and he came to visit me in thailand and when he arrived there it's amazing to actually define me all that way and so i settled him into his room and i said one of the wonderful things to experience in those days in northeast thailand was the arms round in the morning could we get up really early at dawn and just as the they get slight the monks take their ball and they walk silently mindfully through the village and it's really poor people they get up early to put some rice in the monk's bowl and if you don't go there they sort of come and ask you where have you been we want you to come here seeing peaceful calm people first thing in the morning it starts our day and we'd really miss it if you never came so it was just a sight of peaceful people calm quiet people just walking through the village reminding them of their spirituality and they'd come in there and quietly they put a bit of rice in the poll and then we come back to the to the monastery afterwards for our meal and you know that i said this is one of the best times of the morning it's cool the light is perfect you know you must come and he said listen i'm just i'm so tired i get so stressed at work there's no way i can wake up at that time of the morning and i said you don't have to worry at all i'll come to your room and i'll knock on the door 15 minutes before we go so you can get time to get ready okay that was the agreement and i obviously did that and as we were walking back he thanked me because there was a wonderful time of the day and it was really spiritual peaceful kind people looking after one another and he on the way back he told me thank you for

▶ Watch Ajahn Brahm tell it from 14:56 (to 17:09)

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

A stressed teacher friend visiting the monastery didn't want to get up for the dawn alms round. Ajahn Brahm insisted. Afterwards his friend thanked him; it was the most peaceful time, and rare to know someone would truly turn up as promised. Keep your word. Trust spares everyone so much worry.

In brief (our summary)

An old friend who became a schoolteacher visits Ajahn Brahm in northeast Thailand. Exhausted and stressed, he resists the dawn alms round; Brahm insists. Walking back afterwards the friend thanks him — the cool light, silent monks and villagers offering rice was the most spiritual, peaceful time.

Teaching point

Sometimes the thing you are too tired for is exactly what restores you.

When this story may help

  • burnout
  • visiting a friend
  • needing rest

Themes

Source & credit

Told by Ajahn Brahm in Lower Your Expectations | Ajahn Brahm | 24 Nov 2017 · 2017-11-24 · ▶ watch from 14:56 to 17:09 · Buddhist Society of Western Australia

Caption notes: YouTube auto-captions: unpunctuated, words left exactly as captioned. 'define me'/'arms round'/'ball' as captioned (find me; alms round; bowl).

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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