# The Buddha's plate floats against the current

- Teacher: Ajahn Chah
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/chah-buddhas-plate-floats-against-the-current
- Themes: wisdom, courage, renunciation, meditation
- Life situations: going against the crowd, before enlightenment, spiritual practice

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Before his enlightenment the Buddha floats his plate of rice on a stream, and it drifts upstream; he then sits on eight handfuls of grass until he defeats Mara.

## The story, retold in our own words (a paraphrase, not Ajahn Chah's words)

_Retold in our own words from Ajahn Chah's talk “Opening the Dhamma Eye”, in The Teachings of Ajahn Chah (2007 web edition), pp. 142–143._

_A traditional tale from the Buddhist tradition that Ajahn Chah retold in his talk, not something that happened to him._

Ajahn Chah retells a scriptural story of the Buddha before his enlightenment: having received a plate of rice, he floated the plate on a stream and determined that if he was to be enlightened, the plate should float against the current — and it did. Continuing, when he got up he received eight handfuls of grass from a Brahmin, sat on them and entered samadhi. Demons came to overcome him, but he sat on until he became enlightened to the Dhamma and completely defeated Mara.

## Teaching point

The view that leads to freedom goes against the current of worldly wanting.

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

Most of life flows one way, towards more comfort, more praise and more having. Ajahn Chah reads the plate floating upstream as a picture of right view, which quietly swims the other way. When choosing what is wise feels like going against the current, that may be the sign you are on the path.

_Reflection written by Being Mindful Stories with AI help, in the spirit of the talk. These are not Ajahn Chah's own words._

## Source

- Talk "Opening the Dhamma Eye", in The Teachings of Ajahn Chah (2007 web edition), pp. 142–143 — https://www.ajahnchah.org/book/Opening_Dhamma_Eye1.php

_The book is © The Sangha, Wat Nong Pah Pong, offered for free distribution; read the talk free at its source link. No book text is reproduced here._