# The wild chickens and the rice

- Teacher: Ajahn Chah
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/chah-wild-chickens-and-the-rice
- Themes: fear, nature, animals, wisdom, patience
- Life situations: learning from fear, fear of change, living in the forest

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

In the forest, wild chickens fear the rice Ajahn Chah throws them, until they see for themselves it is food, and come to eat without fear.

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

_Retold in our own words from Ajahn Chah's talk “The Two Faces of Reality”, in The Teachings of Ajahn Chah (2007 web edition), pp. 36–37._

Living in the forest, Ajahn Chah says, he was able to teach the wild chickens and learn from them as well. At one time he began throwing out rice for them to eat. At first they were very frightened and would not go near it. After a long time they got used to it and even began to expect it. They had originally thought there was danger in the rice, that it was an enemy; in truth there was no danger, but they did not know it was food, so they were afraid. When they finally saw for themselves that there was nothing to fear, they could come and eat without danger.

## Teaching point

What we fear as an enemy can become a teacher once we see it truly.

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

The chickens were afraid of the very thing that would nourish them. Ajahn Chah saw the same in meditators who treat their own senses as enemies. Given time and a closer look, what frightens us may turn out to be food. Patience and seeing for ourselves turn fear into understanding.

_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 "The Two Faces of Reality", in The Teachings of Ajahn Chah (2007 web edition), pp. 36–37 — https://www.ajahnchah.org/book/Two_Faces_Reality1.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._