# “I never expected to see you in here”

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-sick-monk-doctors-waiting-room
- Themes: illness, guilt, humour, expectations
- Life situations: illness, health guilt, cancer diagnosis

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Feeling awful and waiting at the local doctor's surgery, Ajahn Brahm is greeted by a friend from the temple: “I never expected to see you in here.” As if he were in a brothel or a nightclub! They thought he lived a healthy lifestyle — and he started to feel guilty for being sick.

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

Years and years and years ago, I had, I think, some sort of sickness and never found out exactly what it was about, over 20 years ago now, the last time I was really sick.. And I went to the doctors and I was sitting there in the doctor's surgery in Byford waiting for the doctor to call me in, and somebody who knew me came into the doctor's surgery and they saw me, this monk, who meditates, who lives a nice peaceful lifestyle, who doesn't get involved in the stresses of normal life, and they looked at me and they said “I never expected to see you in here!” [laughter]. And I felt really guilty - maybe I wasn't eating enough brown rice, maybe I wasn't exercising.. I'm supposed to be a monk! I'm supposed to be healthy, living a good lifestyle, and he made me feel guilty about being in a doctor's surgery. Okay, if I was in a pub or a brothel or something then and I should feel guilty [laughter], but what's wrong with being in a doctor's surgery!?

## Teaching point

There's nothing wrong with being sick; don't attach guilt to illness.

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

Sick in a doctor's waiting room, Ajahn Brahm was greeted with 'I never expected to see you here', as if he'd been caught in a pub. He felt guilty, then laughed. Ask any crowd who has never been sick and no hand goes up. Illness is part of being human. Don't add guilt to it.

## Source

- [Kamma without Belief | by Ajahn Brahm | 06 January 2012](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJTCZ1izujg) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 4:37 to 5:44: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJTCZ1izujg&t=277s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Loving our sufferings | Ajahn Brahm | 30 Nov 2012](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uo9-6qQ9tyI) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 13:49 to 14:48: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uo9-6qQ9tyI&t=829s
- [Changing our attitudes to who we think we are | Ajahn Brahm | 17 Jul 2015](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1ldT6MBEP8) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 11:31 to 12:35: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1ldT6MBEP8&t=691s
- [How to Lessen the Stress | Ajahn Brahm | 29 March 2019](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSUdHhvVBfI) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 32:57 to 34:16: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSUdHhvVBfI&t=1977s
- [Tolerance Explored | Ajahn Brahm | 10-08-2007](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmjc0XuvROc) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 13:24 to 14:02: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmjc0XuvROc&t=804s
- [How to Deal with Sickness | Ajahn Brahm | 29 June 2018](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R620ONlGW2M) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 18:05 to 18:30: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R620ONlGW2M&t=1085s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 30 January 2021](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0b957YvpINE) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 11:08 to 12:57: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0b957YvpINE&t=668s
- [Dealing with disasters | by Ajahn Brahm | 1 May 2015](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ex3qPBa83hQ) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 8:14 to 9:01: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ex3qPBa83hQ&t=494s
- [Mencintai Penderitaan Kita Sendiri | Ajahn Brahm | 30 Nov 2012](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiGZvMANUgY) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 13:54 to 14:40: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiGZvMANUgY&t=834s