Stories about adaptability
3 Buddhist wisdom stories about adaptability from Buddhist teachers, each linked to the original talk.
- 'Always Look on the Bright Side of Life' at a funeralStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: At the funeral Ajahn Brahm conducts for a regular member, Mike Wright, the last piece of music — chosen by Mike, who told his wife — is 'Always Look on the Bright Side of Life'…
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except for that funeral service I gave for one of our members a couple of weeks ago, Mike Wright. Many of you if you saw him, you'd remember him— he was a regular here. And at the end of his funeral service— he told his wife this, apparently, that the last song, piece of music, at the end of his funeral service was from the 'Life of Brian', 'Look on the Bright Side of Life'. I really recommend that for funeral services for Buddhists. It made everyone laugh and happy at the very end.
- No electricity on the big dayStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: On the morning of the ceremony starting the rains retreat at Bodhinyana — the monastery's second-biggest day, with many guests coming — Ajahn Brahm comes out of meditation at…
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last Sunday we had to be ceremony abode jnana monastery in certain time start of arranged retreat we'd all been organizing this got all these people coming and when I actually I got up very early but when I came out of meditation at 6:30 no electricity the power outage on the biggest day of art not yet second biggest day of our year in the monastery no electricity it was freezing cold we won't be able to turn on any heaters won't be able to make cups of tea for people there'll be no lighting you know I never thought like that at all I thought what a wonderful thing let's embrace it it reminded us of the the first time is 28 years reading I'm honestly the first time we didn't have any electricity we just use candles or just no get a gas stove to heat up the water in it just nice we were just at that a lot of times when you adapt it becomes much more enjoyable
- The taxi that made him miss the planeStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: A man who later visits Ajahn Brahm tells him what changed his life. In Bombay, his taxi to the airport gets lost; he reaches the airport just in time to see his flight to Europe…
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I remember this guy years ago he came to see me and the thing which changed his life and made him far more more spiritual he was in India he was in Bombay at that time still Bombay before it was changed to Mumbai and he got in a in a taxi to take him to the airport he was flying back to Europe On A Plane taxi got lost and uh his time was ticking away he didn't know he was going to make his plane or not in the end he was just hoping there was a delay in the uh takeoff of the plane cuz it was going into the time of takeoff and as he actually managed to find IND the airport Bombay Airport he actually saw his plane take off and so he's cursing the driver you know he missed his plane he left the city in plenty of time but the stupid taxi driver got lost and he was so upset and then he saw the plane fall down and crash with I don't know most people dead I'd imagine and then he was taking the taxi driver thank you so much