Stories about fathers
2 Buddhist wisdom stories about fathers from Buddhist teachers, each linked to the original talk.
- Dad walks into the spud-gun battleStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Aged about 12, Ajahn Brahm brings friends home after school for a spud-gun war, chairs upside down, the flat wrecked. His father arrives unexpectedly; terrified of being told off…
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I remember coming home from school one afternoon I must about 12 or 13 with my friends know two or three friends and we had these I don't know if any of you kids remember these these spud guns the Spud you know you get some potatoes which were very cheap and you push the end of the little gun in it and because it was stick on the end you had like a compression thing and when the air built out you know it would send the potato bit you know sort of at your you know your friend so it's like it just like not really the air pistols it didn't sort of wasn't that sort of hard but it was actually good fun you know for boys playing around so of course you know it was an after off school I invited my friends down to you know my father's know my apartment where I lived we had all the chairs you know upside down we're having a war having B kids being kids flying the place was a mess and in the middle of the battle wrecking the house my father came in he visited unexpectedly and I was so scared my goodness I was wrecking the house and in front of my friends and I thought he would discipline me but he just climbed over the chair I have a good time made himself a cup of tea while we carried on with our battle that was one awesome dad cuz he knew we to clean up afterwards and we put everything together again but he understood I was a kid being a kid
- “The door of my house will always be open to you”Story · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Remembering his father, dead almost 50 years, at a Thai New Year merit ceremony: when he was 13, his poor father stopped his old green second-hand car near Churchfield Road in…
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At least I remembered my mother and especially my father just how much he taught me. Even though he's been dead 50 years now, actually 50 years next month. I'll never forget him, never will. Especially some of the beautiful things he said to me. One of which was that great story which fits in here. Taking me aside in his old second-hand, just about managing to go, car, it would probably be banned from the roads if it was on the roads in West Australia these days. He was a very poor man. Taking me aside, I still remember the place, in Acton, just off Churchfield Road, I remember it just to this day. I'm looking at it now, even the colour of the car was green. And he stopped the car, turned around to me and he said, son, whatever happens to you in your life; I was about 13 at the time. whatever happens to you in your life, however you turn out, please I want you to remember this. You know I did remember this so clearly. He said, whatever you do in your life, wherever you go, however you turn out, the door of my house will always be open to you. It will always be open to you. I'll never shut the door in your face. You always welcome. Only 13. Didn't really understand how deep that meaning was. Only later on when you became a monk. One of the nice things about being a monk or a nun, especially as the young monk or nun, you have so much time, you can reflect, figure things out, understand what these things mean. And that's where, in Thailand, I remembered that and understood what it meant was the door of his heart was open to me. Not his house, his heart. Oh that was such a beautiful, beautiful teaching. It was unconditional love. Telling me, son, whatever you do, you turn out to be a criminal, you turn out to be something which most people will be embarrassed about, but not me. The door of my heart is always open to you. You're my son, that's enough. Whatever you do.