# The silence of Westminster Abbey

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-westminster-abbey-pa-silence-lost
- Themes: silence, confusion, sacred space, solitude
- Life situations: confusion, need for solitude, noisy modern life

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

As a young man in London, whenever Ajahn Brahm was confused he would go into the great cathedrals — the last time Westminster Abbey — to sit in the vast quiet away from the traffic and find answers without being told anything. That last time he was very upset: a week or two before, they had installed a PA system throughout for announcements and sermons. The silence — to him the most sacred part of the ancient building, what the cathedrals were really built to celebrate — was gone.

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

again I remember this story that I used to know whenever I was confused you I used to go to these great churches they had these beautiful cathedrals in London when I was young and I remember the last time I ever went into a cathedral in this was in England in London was actually Westminster Abbey this huge cavernous uh place where I could just go and just sit down and be quiet outside was all the noise of the traffic in London you go inside it was just absolutely s you can sit down relax and find answers to any problems you didn't need to be told you just need to be relaxed and be still and the last time I went in there I was very very upset I must admit because I went in there there was a refuge of silence and peace you know my little pyramid in London where I can get above everything the jungle of people and traffic and noise but then when I went in there they had just a week or two before installed a PA system throughout the whole complex having all these announcements and sermons and stuff and so what the silence had disappeared and I thought that was sacr because the best the most sacred part of that old ancient building was the silence and it was not there anymore and to this day I thought that that was one of the great reasons why they had those immense Cathedrals because they were celebrating and worshiping silence

## Teaching point

Silence is where answers come; we need places of stillness to climb out of confusion.

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

As a confused young man, Ajahn Brahm would sit in London's great cathedrals for their silence, until Westminster Abbey installed a PA system and the sacredness vanished. He believes those buildings were really built to honour silence. Find your quiet places. In stillness, answers that seemed tangled become simple.

## Source

- [How To Deal With Confusion | Ajahn Brahm | 19-12-2014](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lln7FHZv6VQ) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 17:41 to 19:22: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lln7FHZv6VQ&t=1061s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Power Of Slience | Ajahn Brahm | 11 May 2018](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzlFEqkP6vA) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 41:49 to 42:54: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzlFEqkP6vA&t=2509s
- [Finding Stillness | Ajahn Brahm | 5 July 2019](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uY7Fu7wEh0Y) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 9:33 to 10:35: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uY7Fu7wEh0Y&t=573s
- [Peace | Ajahm Brahm | 29 April 2016](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdlPfay3xRY) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 33:49 to 34:26: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdlPfay3xRY&t=2029s
- [Peace at Christmas Time | Ajahn Brahm | 18 Dec 2015](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otNcxuDhkHU) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 2:34 to 3:04: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otNcxuDhkHU&t=154s
- [Sanctuary of Stillness | Ajahn Brahm | 31 January 2025](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-tHGqOtaTc) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 7:43 to 8:50: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-tHGqOtaTc&t=463s
- [12 Insight Into the Path](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nO3bq37SIGY) (BSWA Retreats 2011-15 & Media) — watch from 30:46 to 31:25: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nO3bq37SIGY&t=1846s