# The tadpole who studied water

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Analogy
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-tadpole-learns-about-water
- Themes: anatta, seeking, education, metaphor
- Life situations: overthinking, spiritual study

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Analogy: intelligent tadpole goes to school and university and even becomes a nun studying the chemical composition of water — while already swimming in it.

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

little tadpole and she was born in this wonderful lake she was a very intelligent tadpole and she went to school and she went to university and she even became a nun this little tadpole and at university she learned all about water now this chemical composition or what it does and when she was an Angie even studied the abbe de mer on water what its nature was but even the socio is one of the highly most intelligent tadpoles in the whole lake and she had a PhD in hydraulics could the little tadpole understand what water really was no more than a fish could understand what water is

## Teaching point

You can earn degrees about what you are already immersed in and still miss it.

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

A brilliant tadpole studied water all the way to a PhD and still couldn't understand it, because she'd never known anything else. Only when she became a frog and leapt out of the lake did she see what water was. Some truths can't be studied from inside. Be brave enough to leap and experience them.

## Source

- [16 Non-Self (Anatta)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wkd4vOCE-XU) (BSWA Retreats 2011-15 & Media) — watch from 36:48 to 37:41: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wkd4vOCE-XU&t=2208s

Other tellings of this story:

- [The Four Jhanas | Ajahn Brahm | 13 November 2020](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQrqbUc9Jb8) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 41:16 to 43:22: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQrqbUc9Jb8&t=2476s
- [Finding the Truth | Ajahn Brahm | 31 March 2023](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npixvAjZ5to) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 29:41 to 31:15: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npixvAjZ5to&t=1781s
- [Guided Meditation - 07-02-2015 | with Ajahn Brahm](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDPREODlF78) (DhammalokaMeditation) — watch from 1:04:11 to 1:04:41: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDPREODlF78&t=3851s
- [Unconditional Love | Ajahn Brahm | 14 February 2025](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEv5jWHdXhQ) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 52:54 to 53:36: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEv5jWHdXhQ&t=3174s
- [Laugh with Ajahn Brahm - Armadale Meditation Group | Ajahn Brahm | 9 November 2021](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=td6FfYaZfYw) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:09:41 to 1:10:13: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=td6FfYaZfYw&t=4181s
- [Word of the Buddha (Part 2) | Ajahn Brahm | 12 February 2023](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKAd0mFQJ60) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:13:18 to 1:13:47: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKAd0mFQJ60&t=4398s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 15 June 2019](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IB866uLoTQU) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:15:56 to 1:16:17: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IB866uLoTQU&t=4556s
- [Meditation 20-06-2015 | with Ajahn Brahm](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqJRET-uPIo) (DhammalokaMeditation) — watch from 1:06:29 to 1:07:19: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqJRET-uPIo&t=3989s