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Story · Ajahn Brahm

“Your meditation can't be that good”

As told by Ajahn Brahm in Our Mind and Our Health | Ajahn Brahm | 7 July 2023

1 min read

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

I think one of the monks was visiting the uh the local doctor in Serpentine. And when they were visiting that local doctor in Serpentine, they saw an advert there for a meditation group in Serpentine. Not our group, but another group. And he said, "Well, why don't you come to our meditation group?" And he said, "Well, your meditation group can't be that good because you monks are always coming into this surgery for help from the doctor.

▶ Watch Ajahn Brahm tell it from 1:46 (to 2:18)

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

Monks inviting the Serpentine doctor's patients to meditate were told their group couldn't be much good, since they were always in the surgery. Ajahn Brahm tells it against his own team before talking about mind and health. Being able to laugh at yourself is a good sign of health already.

In brief (our summary)

At the Serpentine doctor's surgery a monk sees an advert for another meditation group and suggests the doctor's people come to theirs instead. The reply: your meditation group can't be that good — you monks are always coming into this surgery.

Teaching point

(Self-deprecating opener to a talk on mind and health.)

When this story may help

Themes

Source & credit

Told by Ajahn Brahm in Our Mind and Our Health | Ajahn Brahm | 7 July 2023 · 2023-07-08 · ▶ watch from 1:46 to 2:18 · Buddhist Society of Western Australia

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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