Stories about communication
5 Buddhist wisdom stories about communication from Buddhist teachers, each linked to the original talk.
- Alex the African grey parrotStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Psychologists adapting methods for children with learning disabilities teach African grey parrot Alex not party tricks but intelligent vocabulary — Brahm first saw the video…
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Alex the parrot, A L E X, and parrot is an African grey parrot who was a subject of an experiment, and a kind experiment. Some uh psychologist who had uh knowledge of a way of teaching those with intellectual disabili- disabilities, learning disabilities, how to talk. You know, sometimes kids, it's not they're naughty, but just they have some blockages about learning how to speak the local language. And of course, some of these psychologists have worked out very good techniques in order to teach kids how to speak. Not maybe the normal lessons which other kids have in school, but specialized for them. So, these couple of psychologists over in the United States, they uh tried to teach a parrot how to talk. I don't mean like pieces of eight or uh naughty language. I mean, how to have enough of a vocabulary to be able to use these words intelligently
- 'Have you got any brains?'Story · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: The wife of Keith, an early Buddhist Society member, found a recipe calling for lamb's brains and went to the butcher. At the counter she looked at the man and asked, 'Have you…
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his wife told me that, you know, she was looking in the cookery book and that she needed found a recipe which had I think it was um lamb's brains as part of the the recipe. She thought she'd try that on her husband. And so she went to the the the shop, butcher shop, went up to the counter, looked at the guy and said, "Have you got any brains? And the the person selling the meat got offended. I want brains for the stew or whatever I'm cooking. I don't mean to offend you, but how many? She told me the story and I burst out laughing.
- 'I'm marrying your best friend tomorrow'Story · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Dennis, the Buddhist Society's marriage celebrant, came home and told his wife, 'I'm marrying your friend Janice tomorrow.' 'You're married to me — you can't marry my best…
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you know his former wife you know because he's a marriage cbrant you know he went home one day and he said oh I'm marrying your friend uh Janice tomorrow. And his wife said, "You're married to me. You can't be marrying my best friend." He said, "Look, I'm doing her marriage ceremony. I'm marrying your best friend tomorrow. I'm the marriage celebrant.
- Six cooks talking, no one listeningStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Passing the Serpentine monastery kitchen one morning, Ajahn Brahm notices six Thai ladies preparing the meal — all six with their mouths open, talking. If all six were talking,…
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One of the stories I often mention in my meditation retreats is a story of our monastery down Serpentine one day passing by the kitchen when people were making the meal for the morning there was I think six Thai Ladies there was only Thai Ladies this day it's the same when Sri Lankan women or men or anybody else is serving the food or making the food for us that particular day had to be six women in our kitchen and I noticed all six women had their mouths open talking There were only six in the kitchen if the six people were talking, I wondered who was left to do the listening And the answer was no one was doing the listening because everyone was busy doing the talking
- The NHS invitation — bad for my healthStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: After an HR conference in London (business class, hotel, family visit paid), the UK National Health Service asked him back to Birmingham for the same talk. He replied that they…
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I got another invitation from uh the National Health Service in UK. They said they attended my talk they liked it. Can you please come back to London? Actually the their conference was being held in Birmingham. can you please come to Birmingham in UK to give the same talk for the National Health Service? And I replied to them. I said, "Listen, you're the National Health Service. You should know better. I've just did an international tour, a long flight all the way from from London back to Perth, and now you want me to come back again. That's bad for my health." and you're the National Health Service. The lady who invited me wrote this lovely letter back saying, "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. That's on my desk. It cheers me up. Instead of complaining, you made me laugh. Made me happy