Being Mindful Stories

Story · Ajahn Chah

The poisoned banana

From a talk by Ajahn Chah, “The Flood of Sensuality”

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The story — retold in our own words from Ajahn Chah's talk

Retold in our own words from Ajahn Chah's talk “The Flood of Sensuality”, in The Teachings of Ajahn Chah (2007 web edition), pp. 335–336. Read the original talk

Ajahn Chah first became a novice at the age of nine and began practicing then, though he did not really know what it was about. He found out when he became a monk: he became wary; the sensual pleasures people indulged in no longer seemed like much fun, because he saw the suffering in them. It was like seeing a delicious banana which he knew was very sweet but also poisoned — no matter how tempting, if he ate it he would die. Whenever he wanted to 'eat a banana' he would see the poison inside, and eventually he could withdraw his interest. After he had lived as a monk five or six years, he thought of the Buddha, who practiced five or six years and was finished, while he himself was still interested in the worldly life. He considered going back to 'build the world' for a while, even noting that the Buddha had had a son, Rāhula, and wondering if he was being too strict. He sat and considered until he realized he was just afraid that this 'Buddha' would not be like the last one — a voice in him said this 'Buddha' would just sink into the mud. So he resisted those worldly thoughts. From his sixth or seventh rains retreat up until the twentieth, he really had to put up a fight.

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

Even Ajahn Chah, a great teacher, had to fight the pull of his old life for well over a decade. That honesty is a comfort. Temptation is not a sign of failure; it is part of the path. Seeing the hidden cost in what tempts us helps us keep choosing what we truly value.

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

In brief (our summary)

In his early years as a monk, Ajahn Chah sees sense pleasures as a sweet but poisoned banana, and later wrestles for years with the urge to return to lay life.

Teaching point

See the danger hidden in what tempts you, and keep resisting the pull to go back.

When this story may help

Themes

Source & credit

Told by Ajahn Chah in the talk “The Flood of Sensuality”, in The Teachings of Ajahn Chah (2007 web edition), pp. 335–336

1 other telling of this story

  • the talk “The Flood of Sensuality”, in Food for the Heart (2007 edition), pp. 81–82
    The same talk, reprinted in this book (not a separate telling).

The book is © The Sangha, Wat Nong Pah Pong, offered for free distribution. Read the talk free at ajahnchah.org.

The story text is Being Mindful Stories's retelling in our own words of how Ajahn Chah tells it in this talk, not his own words and not a quotation. Read the talk in the book for his exact words. The title, summary and reflection are Being Mindful Stories's editorial notes. Please credit the teacher and link the original talk in the book. Markdown version

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