# “We've never heard a talk in Sanskrit before”

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-thai-talk-mistaken-for-sanskrit
- Themes: humour, self-esteem, mistakes, humility
- Life situations: public embarrassment, learning a language, fear of failure

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

A group visiting from Thailand asks for a talk in Thai, so Ajahn Brahm, fluent after years there, gives one. Afterwards they're very impressed: “We've never heard a talk in Sanskrit before!” “Actually, that was in Thai.” “Oh! We didn't know.”

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

I remember once giving a talk to a group of Thai people. And they travelled all the way from Thailand to visit this place and to give some donations and they wanted a talk in Thai - so I gave them a talk in Thai. And after the talk in Thai, because I was in Thailand for many years, I was fluent when I lived there. They all said, wow, that was so impressive, we've never heard a talk in Sanskrit before [laughter]. And I said, actually that was in Thai.. "Oh!" said the Thai people, we didn't know

## Teaching point

Mistakes and put-downs need not cost self-esteem — they become stories to make people laugh.

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

Ajahn Brahm gave a whole talk in fluent Thai to visitors from Thailand, who praised him warmly for speaking such beautiful Sanskrit. He was delighted: another story to make people laugh. A put-down only stings if you need to be perfect. Claim the right to be wrong, lower your expectations a notch, and enjoy the comedy of your own mistakes.

## Source

- [No-Self Esteem | by Ajahn Brahm](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXd09oGHD0I) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 19:26 to 19:57: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXd09oGHD0I&t=1166s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Buddhism and Sects | Ajahn Brahm | 01-06-2007](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owq_ougaikU) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 37:19 to 37:50: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owq_ougaikU&t=2239s
- [Lower Your Expectations | Ajahn Brahm | 24 Nov 2017](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qtxgvH_e1Y) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 21:16 to 22:00: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qtxgvH_e1Y&t=1276s