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Story · Ajahn Brahm

The head on the morgue windowsill

As told by Ajahn Brahm in 'Out of Control' | by Ajahn Brahm

1 min read

Content note: graphic description of human remains

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

Actually one of these places I went to in Thailand. Because Thailand is a Buddhist country you can walk into the morgue because they won't stop a Buddhist monk you just go in and see what's going on in there (laughter). So, I remember the first It's true. One of the first places, I couldn't really believe this. This is a true story I am not making it up. I went into this autopsy room in Siriraj Hospital Bangkok, just opposite the river. Their main hospital, or one of the main hospitals in Bangkok; I went there very early, They hadn't started the autopsy yet, I was in the room by myself, they had these high windows and I looked at one of the windows, there was really something strange, in a place where you will usually expect a pot plant, there was a head! (laughter) And I thought this was a fake head some sort of model. I went there and poked it; it was actually a real head cut off. Just like in some monster movie. But there is was, I don't know whose it was but they just put it on a plate and it was on the window, in the sunshine. It's really weird (laughter)

▶ Watch Ajahn Brahm tell it from 31:35 (to 32:37)

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

Arriving early at a Bangkok autopsy room, Ajahn Brahm poked what he took for a model head on the windowsill. It was real. A monk's life is full of surprises, and so is everyone's. Plans go wrong whether you make them or not. Try a no-plans day this weekend and see what turns up.

In brief (our summary)

Because a Buddhist monk is not stopped in Thailand, Ajahn Brahm was able to walk into the autopsy room at Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok. Arriving early, alone, he saw on a high windowsill — where you'd expect a pot plant — a head. He thought it was a model and poked it: it was a real severed head, sitting on a plate in the sunshine.

Teaching point

Told to show that a monk's life is unplanned and full of the unexpected; he also contemplates death in autopsy rooms.

When this story may help

  • over-planning
  • facing mortality

Themes

Source & credit

Told by Ajahn Brahm in 'Out of Control' | by Ajahn Brahm · 2012-06-27 · ▶ watch from 31:35 to 32:37 · Buddhist Society of Western Australia

1 other telling of this story

Caption notes: Manual (volunteer) captions; occasional misspellings kept as is.

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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