# Yeah, that's right — both monks and neither

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-two-monks-both-right
- Themes: humour, non-dual, rebirth, authority
- Life situations: theological arguments, needing to win

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Two monks argue whether rebirth matters; each separately gets 'yeah, that's right' from the abbot; together they protest they cannot both be right — abbot: yeah, that's right.

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

two monks who were arguing arguing over you know, the truth of rebirth reincarnation. One said it's really important. The other one said it wasn't important. You got to live in the present moment. You're not dead yet. And so they had this argument, so they went to see the the Ajahn, the boss. And the first one went in there and said rebirth is really important. It's part of Buddhism." And he quoted the suttas and they the Ajahn said, "Yeah, that's right." He went and he told his friend. He said, "The boss said I was right." And then the other monk went, "He can't say you're right. This is about present moment awareness. How do you know you haven't died yet?" So, went in there and told the other monk and the head monk said, "Oh, yeah, that's right. You need to live in the present moment." So, the two monks, they got contradictory advice from the head monk. And so, they said, "We better go in there together and find out. You said that I was right." And then you said that he was right. We can't both be right. And the head monk said, "Yeah, that's right."

## Teaching point

The need to be the only one who is right is its own foolishness.

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

Two monks with opposite views each got 'that's right' from their abbot. When they complained they couldn't both be right, he said: yes, that's right. Needing to be the only one who's right is foolish. Ajahn Liam joked that he lets monks go whichever way they want. Inspire people instead of controlling them.

## Source

- [Importance of Pausing and Reflecting | Ajahn Brahm | 31 December 2021](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yifAjwBk1aA) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 49:10 to 50:23: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yifAjwBk1aA&t=2950s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Materialisme Intelektual | Ajahn Brahm | 15 Januari 2016](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCbXHr1k64k) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 39:19 to 40:53: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCbXHr1k64k&t=2359s