Being Mindful Stories

Story · Ajahn Chah

Watching Ajahn Tong Raht eat

From a talk by Ajahn Chah, “Questions and Answers”

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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 “Questions and Answers”, in The Teachings of Ajahn Chah (2007 web edition), p. 92. Read the original talk

One of Ajahn Chah's teachers ate very fast and made noises as he ate, yet told the monks to eat slowly and mindfully. Ajahn Chah used to watch him and get very upset; he suffered, but the teacher did not. He was watching the outside. Later he learned. At first he used to watch Ajahn Tong Raht and had many doubts. People even thought the teacher was mad. He would do strange things or get very fierce with his disciples. Outside he was angry, but inside there was nothing — nobody there. He stayed clear and mindful until the moment he died.

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

Watching someone else's faults can make us suffer more than they do. Ajahn Chah admits he was upset for a long time by his teacher's eating habits, while the teacher himself was at ease. When someone's manner bothers you, it can help to turn the attention back home and look at your own mind.

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)

As a young monk, Ajahn Chah is upset that his teacher eats fast and noisily while telling others to eat mindfully, until he learns that inside the teacher there was nothing, nobody there.

Teaching point

Don't judge only the outside; look at the Dhamma, not at people.

When this story may help

Themes

Source & credit

Told by Ajahn Chah in the talk “Questions and Answers”, in The Teachings of Ajahn Chah (2007 web edition), p. 92

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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