Being Mindful Stories

Story · Ajahn Brahm

Sleeping on a door with a hole in it

As told by Ajahn Brahm in Don't Be Disappointed | Ajahn Brahm | 29-01-2010

1 min read

Content note: toilet humour

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

when I first went to that monastery, the first night I was there, we had a door which I slept on. It was three bricks in each corner and a door. We only had two doors in that monastery. So we didn't sleep on the floor because there's lots of insects and animals that go biting you at night. It was this time of the year, just in January, hot and I was on the door. We only had two doors. Because I was the second monk, because of hierarchy, the senior monk got the flat door. I got the ones with the ribs on it, these houses had the ribs on the door. It's true, I'm not making it up, so I had ribs on the door. I was fortunate, there was one of the doors which the doorknob was actually in the centre of the door, rather than on the edge. So there was a big hole in the middle of the door. And being a positive thinker, I thought, well that's actually very good because that means I don't need to get up out of bed to go to the toilet. It's very, very good. I don't know why they don't make other beds like that, with a hole in the centre, a bucket underneath. You know what it's like getting these hot days or cold days, getting out of bed to go to the toilet.

▶ Watch Ajahn Brahm tell it from 20:33 (to 21:41)

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

The senior monk got the flat door to sleep on; the junior got the ribbed one with a hole where the knob had been, and declared it a handy toilet. The monastery was deep in debt and the work was hard, yet he chose the bright side. When you're handed the worse door, a little humour makes it surprisingly comfortable.

In brief (our summary)

In the first days of Bodhinyana Monastery the two monks sleep on doors propped on bricks; the senior monk gets the flat one, Ajahn Brahm the ribbed door with a hole where the doorknob was — which, as a positive thinker, he decides is a convenient toilet hole.

Teaching point

Positive thinking can find the good even in hardship.

When this story may help

  • poverty
  • starting from nothing
  • uncomfortable living conditions

Themes

Source & credit

Told by Ajahn Brahm in Don't Be Disappointed | Ajahn Brahm | 29-01-2010 · 2010-04-06 · ▶ watch from 20:33 to 21:41 · Buddhist Society of Western Australia

1 other telling of this story

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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