Stories about effort
5 Buddhist wisdom stories about effort from Buddhist teachers, each linked to the original talk.
- How to hold a glass of water stillAnalogy · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Demonstration simile: however hard you try to hold a glass of water still, it trembles, and more willpower makes it shake more. The easy way is to put it down. At first the water…
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How do you hold a glass of water still? Put it down, yeah. Once you put that glass of water down, actually it moves more at first. But after a few seconds you find that - those in the front row can see that - it's much more still than I could ever hold it.
- Letting the rip carry him outStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: A New Zealand monk, tramping with a friend on a hot day, reaches a secluded, pristine beach in (he thinks) the South Island; they strip off and swim — and he is caught in a…
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This monk, he was from New Zealand and he was trekking over in New Zealand with one of his friends— they call it 'tramping' over there. It was a hot day, just like the weather today—it's been really hot today— and he was walking all day, and he managed to get to this pristine beach somewhere in the South Island I think it was. It was one of the most magnificent beaches: secluded, no one was there; they had it to themselves. It was the sort of beach that you built a resort on if it was in close proximity to civilisation, but this was totally wild. It was only him and his mate there and they were very hot, and so they thought let's go for a swim! A very natural decision. So they stripped off—they didn't have any bathers; there's no one around— and off he went into the water and did some swimming. And that's when he realised that he'd made a big mistake because there was a big rip there—this very, very strong current. Later on—he survived, obviously to tell the story—he told me later that many people had perished on that particular beach; he didn't realise that it was so dangerous. How he survived was a very brilliant strategy, and I think this was because he'd been a Buddhist before— he was a Buddhist monk, obviously— but the teachings of Buddhism actually saved his life there because as he was being taken out by the strong currents, straightaway, he realised that it was such a strong rip current that fighting it was useless, so he totally relaxed, he let go, he didn't try to do anything. He let that current take him a long way from the beach, knowing that eventually that current will stop, it will change, it is impermenant; eventually, the force will wither away, and eventually it did, and that's where he started swimming, that's where he put forth all his effort. When he could make a difference, that's when he applied himself. And he managed to swim back to the shore exhausted, but he survived. And he told me if he'd fought that current, he'd still have been taken the same distance away from the shore, but when he got to that distance, he would've been exhausted, he would not have been able to swim back—he would've died. Knowing when to let go and when to put forth effort saved his life, but more importantly, having the courage to let go, the courage to let go when you know you can't do anything, but you're really scared of what might happen. He did let go and that saved his life.
- The Ananda method of enlightenmentStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: After the Buddha's death, Ananda — his attendant for 25 years — is still not enlightened, while 499 of the 500 monks gathering for the great council are arahants with psychic…
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But Ananda, he was a He was the attendant of the Buddha, the chief No, the chief disciples of the Buddha, and when the Buddha passed away, Ananda was still not enlightened. And he thought, "If I can't be enlightened after being with the Buddha for 25 years, almost every day, listening to all of his teachings, being one of the greatest masters, and I've blown it. 25 years, I'm still not enlightened. What chance do I have now?" But there was a big meeting of all the great monks. 500 monks were meeting together. 499 of them were perfectly enlightened with psychic powers, all except this poor Ananda guy. Imagine the peer pressure. Imagine. So, he stayed up all night meditating and meditating and meditating. Now, that's the reason why he didn't get enlightened. Trying. Trying to get enlightened, trying to achieve something. But then when he got to dawn, he was absolutely nowhere, hopeless. You'll have that feeling sometimes. You're meditating and meditating, nowhere, absolutely hopeless. So, what did he do? He decided to go and take a nap. So, as he lay down, according to the legend, just before his head hit the pillow, he became fully enlightened with psychic powers as well. Brilliant. So, we call that the Ananda method of enlightenment.
- Too comfortable to waste on sleepStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Once Ajahn Brahm lay in bed unable to sleep — probably too much tea — worrying he wouldn't get to sleep in time. Then he thought: I spend so much time cross-legged talking to…
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difficulty getting asleep but I know it's too much tea or coffee probably but everytime I decided yeah I'm gonna fall asleep I really want to fall asleep I really have to fall asleep I'm gonna get up early in the morning I've got to give a talk I've got to do this if I don't fall asleep I'm gonna be in big trouble and of course the anxiety kept you awake so instead what I thought as a mark especially my bed is the most comfortable place in the whole world number one no one asked me any questions I'm quiet and you're really comfortably are your beds comfortable nice and cozy crane why do you want to waste that beautiful experience by going to sleep so lay down it's just so nice who wants to go and sleep this is just so cozy and nice I just really want to enjoy this I don't want to go to sea I just want to enjoy the comfort and coziness
- “You're making an ugly face — smile!”Story · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Rowing in an eight at Cambridge, struggling and grimacing, Ajahn Brahm hears the coach on a bicycle shout through a megaphone: “You're making an ugly face — smile!” When he…
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So no what happened there was a little coach the coach was on his bicycle had a megaphone. He shouted out at me He said you're making an ugly face smile and when you're really struggling physically of course you do make ugly faces And I learned something great from that coach worthwhile all of that. You know doing the the training for rowing in an eight And what I learned that when you smile the? Or is so easy to pull I've got a boost of energy Paint has dissipated. I smiled and the oil had more energy