# “What's done is finished”

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-whats-done-is-finished-hall
- Themes: peace of mind, letting go, rest, unfinished business
- Life situations: overwork, endless to-do lists, perfectionism, guilt about the past

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

A Thai abbot sends the builders home for the three-month rains retreat, leaving his new hall without a roof or windows and with timber and cement bags strewn about. A visitor asks when the hall will be finished. “It is finished.” “What do you mean? There's no roof!” “Sir, what's done is finished,” says the abbot — and goes off to meditate.

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

that is a wonderful story of this monk who was building his main hall in his Monastery and of course it takes a lot of time and effort to make a big building like that but it come to the time of the the rainy season the monsoon season in in Thailand as in most Buddhist countries when it comes to the wet season all the monkss go on Retreat we have a 3 month Retreat period and so the Abbot of this Monastery told the builders look we're all going to be meditating for the next three months and anyway it's going to be raining it's not the best time to build anyway all the builders you can go home and come back in 3 months so he sent all the builders away so a few days later a visitor came to the temple and they saw this whole incomplete and so just in general conversation with the Abba they asked when is your hall going to be finished and the Abba replied it is finished to which the visitor was quite stunned and said what do you mean it's finished the there's not a roof on it are you going to leave it like that there's no glass in the windows there's pieces of wood and old cement bangs all over the floor what do you mean it's finished to which the Abbot replied his Immortal words sir what's done is finished and after that the abber got up and went to meditate

## Teaching point

If you wait until every job is complete before you rest, you'll never find peace of mind; let the past be finished.

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

With no roof, no glass and cement bags on the floor, the abbot's hall was, he told a puzzled visitor, finished; then he went to meditate. Inboxes, chores and projects never all close at once. Declare today's work complete at a sensible hour, and rest in peace while you're still alive to enjoy it.

## Source

- [The Meaning of Life - Peace of Mind | Ajahn Brahm | 16 Jan 2009](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNiS2OI-bSk) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 8:16 to 9:58: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNiS2OI-bSk&t=496s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Relax | Ajahn Brahm | 19 May 2017](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97u4C6-HjOQ) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 14:52 to 16:45: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97u4C6-HjOQ&t=892s
- [The Power of Mindfulness & Compassion | by Ajahn Brahm](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkKF9fWXHmY) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 44:55 to 46:00: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkKF9fWXHmY&t=2695s
- [Buddhism, Religion? | Ajahn Brahm | 27-03-2009](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIeLuMX-2p8) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 32:24 to 33:09: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIeLuMX-2p8&t=1944s
- [New Year's Eve Dhamma Talk for 2018 | Ajahn Brahm | 31 December 2017](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VebMFHV4bMM) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 35:14 to 36:09: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VebMFHV4bMM&t=2114s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 1 April 2023](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvKMa0_5OBM) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 11:47 to 12:20: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvKMa0_5OBM&t=707s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 18 March 2017](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coNTdSM9CHM) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 7:47 to 8:56: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coNTdSM9CHM&t=467s