# The wandering master he first misunderstood

- Teacher: Ajahn Chah
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/chah-wandering-masters-talk
- Themes: teachers, humility, listening, wisdom
- Life situations: learning vs practice, listening to a teacher, learning

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Ajahn Chah listens with inner disrespect to a wandering meditation master, and only years later, walking the path himself, finds every detail the monk described.

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

_Retold in our own words from Ajahn Chah's talk “Unshakeable Peace”, in The Teachings of Ajahn Chah (2007 web edition), p. 533._

Ajahn Chah had studied enough Buddhist theory to pass some exams, but he says he was no different from others in not yet bringing the teaching into the heart. One day he had the chance to listen to a Dhamma talk from a meditation master. As he listened, disrespectful thoughts arose; he did not know how to listen to a real Dhamma talk and could not figure out what this wandering meditation monk was talking about. The man seemed to be teaching from his own direct experience. Later, as Ajahn Chah gained firsthand experience in the practice, he saw for himself the truth of what that monk had taught. It was a long time before he realized that everything the wandering monk had said came from what he had seen for himself, not from a book. When Ajahn Chah walked the Path himself, he came across every detail the monk had described and had to admit he was right. So he continued on.

## Teaching point

Teachings from direct experience are confirmed by practice, not by theory.

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

Ajahn Chah admits he could not hear a true teaching at first because his head was full of exam knowledge. Years of practice showed him the old monk was right. It is a gentle invitation to keep an open mind about what we cannot yet understand, and to let experience, rather than theory, be the judge.

_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 "Unshakeable Peace", in The Teachings of Ajahn Chah (2007 web edition), p. 533 — https://www.ajahnchah.org/book/Unshakeable_Peace1_2.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._