# Stream-entry certificates on the wall

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Analogy
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-stream-entry-certificates-on-the-wall
- Themes: conceit, spiritual materialism, humour, anatta
- Life situations: spiritual ambition, comparing progress

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Analogy: a Burma monastery giving stream-winner certificates to hang next to degrees and swimming certificates — spiritual materialism as framed paper.

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

certificates to people stream winning certificates so you're authenticated that you are a stream win or once returned a night and so you had you on your wall next to you sort of your degree and next to your swimming certificate whatever else you've got and this is my life a certificate and when I heard that there's something fundamentally wrong with that

## Teaching point

If awakening needs a certificate on the wall, the ego already won.

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

Ajahn Brahm heard of a monastery handing out certificates of enlightenment to frame beside your degree and swimming badge. That gets it backwards. The path is letting go of self. 'I'm better' and 'I'm worse' are both ego, the Buddha noted. Don't collect attainments. Put the frames down.

## Source

- [16 Non-Self (Anatta)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wkd4vOCE-XU) (BSWA Retreats 2011-15 & Media) — watch from 3:11 to 3:40: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wkd4vOCE-XU&t=191s

Other tellings of this story:

- [DN29: Pasadika Sutta - the Delectable Discourse | Ajahn Brahm | 24 April 2016](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMp9rGdcd5w) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:01:55 to 1:04:22: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMp9rGdcd5w&t=3715s
- [Discrimination | Ajahn Brahm | 27-02-2015](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T73zNrFQGIU) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 11:52 to 14:05: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T73zNrFQGIU&t=712s