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Story · Ajahn Brahm

The executive who slept for three days

As told by Ajahn Brahm in 2. Letting Go in Meditation - Ajahn Brahm

1 min read

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

the classic story many many years ago teaching a retreat in Sydney and an executive you know from some big company in Sydney she arrived really late about 11:30 at night because you had to try and tie up all the Loose Ends before she could arrive at The Retreat so she arrived in the middle of the night so she missed the evening talk and when I sort of uh she asked for quick interview in the morning when I told her this that most people are tired so to practice your kindness and take as much sleep as you want she really took that advice on board she went straight back to bed got up for lunch after lunch went to sleep again she got up in the morning just before breakfast after breakfast went to bed got up for lunch went to bed again afterwards she said for the first two or three days she slept and slept and slept she was just catching up after 3 days she had hardly done any meditation at all but you felt so good as you do do when you really caught up on your sleep I really feel got energy now I feel healthy and then the next three days you know she started to get into her meditation and she caught up with everybody else so by the sixth day she was on a par with all the other people and of course the last few days she just took off she was one of the star meditators really got some really deep meditation and I used her courage and wisdom as an example for all others

▶ Watch Ajahn Brahm tell it from 24:48 (to 26:41)

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

An executive arrived at retreat late at night, took Ajahn Brahm's advice to sleep as much as she liked, and dozed between meals for three days. Then she caught up and became one of the star meditators. You can't go deep on an exhausted body. Even the Buddha ate and rested first. Be kind to your body.

In brief (our summary)

On a retreat in Sydney many years ago, an executive arrived at 11:30 at night after tying up loose ends at work. Told in her first interview that most people are tired and that she should be kind to herself and sleep as much as she wanted, she took it to heart: she slept before and after every meal for two or three days and hardly meditated. Then she felt healthy and full of energy; over the next three days she got into her meditation and caught up with everyone, and in the last days she became one of the star meditators with really deep meditation.

Teaching point

You can't meditate deeply with a tired body; rest first, kindly, and the depth comes.

When this story may help

Themes

Source & credit

Told by Ajahn Brahm in 2. Letting Go in Meditation - Ajahn Brahm · 2013-01-20 · ▶ watch from 24:48 to 26:41 · BSWA Retreats 2011-15 & Media

3 other tellings of this story

Caption notes: YouTube auto-captions: unpunctuated, words left exactly as captioned.

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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