# The moon in a still lake

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Analogy
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-still-lake-reflects-the-moon
- Themes: stillness, meditation, wisdom, craving
- Life situations: starting meditation, seeking clarity, restlessness

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Simile (on a full-moon retreat night): if there are waves or ripples on a lake you can't see a perfect image of the moon and stars; when not one ripple crosses it, you get a perfect reflection. To see things as they truly are, without distortion, the mind must be perfectly still. He returns to it later: even wanting good things disturbs the surface.

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

the simile I usually give is a simile of a lake if there's waves on the surface of the lake you can never get a a clear reflection of the stars and the full moon and if you look up the sky this evening and tomorrow the the moon is full it's a very beautiful time to start meditating and if you go to one of the the Lakes the lake down the bottom and you look at the image of that Moon if there are waves or ripples in that Lake you can't see a perfect image but you can imagine when that lake is perfectly still when there's not even one Ripple moving across the surface of the lake you get a perfect reflection of the moon and the stars and that's just like the mind to be able to reflect reality to see things as they truly are without Distortion we got to use a mind which is perfectly still so there's not even a ripple on the surface of that mind

## Teaching point

Insight needs stillness; wanting anything ripples the mind.

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

Only when not a ripple crosses a lake can it hold the full moon perfectly. A mind stirred by worry, or even by wanting good things, distorts what it sees. Before a big judgement, let things settle first. Look after the body, rest, and let the water go still.

## Source

- [1. Being No one Going Nowhere - Ajahn Brahm](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isfuvHljSU4) (BSWA Retreats 2011-15 & Media) — watch from 3:11 to 4:20: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isfuvHljSU4&t=191s

Other tellings of this story:

- [The Power of Mindfulness & Compassion | by Ajahn Brahm](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkKF9fWXHmY) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 54:24 to 54:46: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkKF9fWXHmY&t=3264s
- [1. Relaxing the Body & Mind - Ajahn Brahm](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUMEd3bWVIM) (BSWA Retreats 2011-15 & Media) — watch from 24:52 to 26:01: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUMEd3bWVIM&t=1492s
- [How to Deal with Difficulties | Ajahn Brahm | 29 April 2022](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teELqB3MAG4) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 46:13 to 47:26: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teELqB3MAG4&t=2773s
- [2. Letting Go in Meditation - Ajahn Brahm](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lk3jZskZU6c) (BSWA Retreats 2011-15 & Media) — watch from 7:24 to 9:12: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lk3jZskZU6c&t=444s