Being Mindful Stories

Analogy · Ajahn Brahm

Don't hold back a spooked buffalo

As told by Ajahn Brahm in On the Other Side of Anger | by Ajahn Brahm | 31-05-2013

2 min read

Content note: injury described; gendered humour that follows (reining in wives) is outside the span

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

I was writing this story, a couple of days ago, you know water buffalo in thailand? They don't really have that many water buffalo left, because now they've got tractors. But in the old days, this is 40 years ago, when I first became a monk. Now, the water buffalo would be under the house of every villager. It was part of the family and they would use those water buffalo to plough the fields. And their excrement was the fertilizer they used for the fields. It was a very naturally and environmentally friendly way of farming. And those water buffalo was some of the most docile beings you could ever imagine. During the hot days of the hot season, you have seen the little kids falling asleep on the back of these water buffalo while they were grazing. So safe, except a few times a water buffalo got spooked. And I saw that a few times. When a water buffalo got frightened, they'd lift their head up, high. Instead of always being, know, looking at the grass. And they lift their head up high and they'd snored and the next thing they do is run. In any direction. Now, when they started running, they are very, very dangerous. You had to get out of the way. And sometimes people where caught by the water buffalo running, because water buffalo didn't know what they were doing and they were just panicking. And one day this farmer, was taking his water buffalo passed the monastery where we living. And the water buffalo saw something in the forest, which spooked him and was about to run away. Lifted up his head and started snorting. The farmer realized what was gone happen so he actually got hold to the little rope, which was tied loosely about the water buffalos neck to try and restrain it. A stupid thing to do. Cause the water buffalo run of. The string tied itself around the mans finger and took the finger off, with it. And we saw that, because this poor guy came into the monastery with the half of finger with blood all over his hand. And the top of the flesh of the finger would came off. And of course, we took him to the hospital to get patched up. He was fine, it is actually very easy to scratch his head after that. With a stump. You know, it just very painful, very unpleasant to look at, but he was fine. We often use that simile. What a stupid thing it is to try and hold back a water buffalo. Let it go. It is gone be stronger than you. So please let it go, otherwise it takes off your finger, metaphorically. If you just let it go, the water buffalo only goes a little way. And it calms down.

▶ Watch Ajahn Brahm tell it from 45:33 (to 48:26)

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

A farmer grabbed the rope of his spooked water buffalo and lost the tip of a finger. Let it run a little and it calms down by itself. When someone is in full rage, a boss, a partner, a child, don't try to hold them back or shout back. Give them room, and talk once the storm has passed.

In brief (our summary)

In 1970s Thai villages the water buffalo were docile family members — until spooked: head up, snorting, then running in any direction. One day a farmer passing the monastery grabbed the loose rope round his spooked buffalo's neck; it bolted, the rope wrapped his finger and took the top of it off. He came into the monastery bleeding and the monks took him to hospital. The simile: don't try to hold back a water buffalo; let it go a little way and it calms down.

Teaching point

When someone is in full rage, don't restrain or answer back; let them run, and talk when they've calmed.

When this story may help

  • someone shouting at you
  • angry partner or boss
  • conflict

Themes

Source & credit

Told by Ajahn Brahm in On the Other Side of Anger | by Ajahn Brahm | 31-05-2013 · 2013-06-01 · ▶ watch from 45:33 to 48:26 · Buddhist Society of Western Australia

1 other telling of this story

Caption notes: Manual (volunteer) captions; occasional misspellings kept as is.

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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