Stories about fantasy
2 Buddhist wisdom stories about fantasy from Buddhist teachers, each linked to the original talk.
- My soulmate is out there somewhereStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: A woman around sixty kept coming to say she knew her soulmate was waiting somewhere; he kept saying he isn't — she insisted she just hadn't found him yet. He calls the visits a…
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there was a woman who used to come and see me years ago and they're just awake now I shouldn't say a waste of time but it was a waste of time it's my reality and she said I know I know he's out there somewhere I know my soul mate the one meant for me she's about 60 I think at the time still unfounded and I just kept on saying you know he's not there no I know he says somewhere waiting for me somewhere I just haven't found him yet
- The hermit of the NullarborStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Ajahn Brahm's monk's fantasy: living as a hermit in a deep Nullarbor cave with water beneath. Then he imagines what would follow — someone finds him, Channel 9 comes for a…
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I always had these fantasies like going in deep caves. This was my fantasy. Coz when I first came over here I heard there’s some brilliant caves in Nullarbor. And they’ve got water underneath as well. So you’ve got your water, you’ve got seclusion. And I felt sure I can get someone to give me some food somewhere. And I thought I would become like the hermit of Nullarbor. That’s my fantasy. This is what monks dream of. They don’t dream of winning the lottery or finding a beautiful girl. They dream of being a nice hermit in a deep cave in Nullarbor. But then I started fantasizing further: what would happen next? Imagine, if you were like a monk and you’re staying in a deep cave in Nullarbor, sooner or later somebody will find you. And the soonest they find you, they will tell Channel 9. (laughter) And Channel 9 will go out there with their reporters to do like a human interest story about the hermit of the Nullarbor. “And why did you run away? Was it because of a broken heart? (laughter from the audience) Was it because… was it because your business went pear-shaped? Or because some other reason why you just didn’t like the world anymore? Because the Eagles kept on losing, was that the reason why you why you went to be a hermit?” (Ajahn laughing) And then they do an interview, and of course it would go on the TV and of course as soon as the TV would go there and they tell you that there’s a hermit at their Nullarbor, and of course all these tourists will start to come and visit you on the way across the Nullarbor Plain they make a diversion to go and see the hermit of the Nullarbor. Coz that’s very rare to see like a hermit. And so I’ve got all those tour busses coming to see the hermit of the Nullarbor. And then soon they would have to have toilets outside my cave and a little gift shop which has devontiontees. And before long you get those little dolls like the hermit of the Nullarbor with a shaky head. (audience laughing) And so you’d be a tourist attraction. Just like everything else. And that’s what happens with the hermit of the Nullarbor