Stories about goals
2 Buddhist wisdom stories about goals from Buddhist teachers, each linked to the original talk.
- Enlightenment by teatimeStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: At his first Vesak, with the Cambridge University Buddhist group, 18-year-old Brahm hears how the Buddha vowed under the Bodhi tree not to move even if his blood dried up and his…
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I'm still a lay person, we started doing some meditation and it was the Vesak time. This was celebrating the birth enlightenment, passing away of the Buddha. And when I heard the story of the Buddha's enlightenment. What I heard was that the Buddha sat under the Bodhi tree and he made a resolution, a determination. "I'm gonna get enlightened. Right here, I'm not gonna move. Even if my blood dries up and my bones turn to dust. I'm not gonna move from this seat until ... until I get full enlightenment". Being stupid at the time I thought that was really cool. So you know what I did? I went back to my room, I put a little couple of cushions out, (Laugh) stupid young man, I was about 18 at the time (laugh) You know, 18 year old men. Any 18 year old man here? Don't admit it. Don't admit it. Come on, you're not 18 you're much older than that. I said 18 not 80. So I sat down on that cushion I made a resolution. I'm as good as the Buddha. That was in India, he didn't have an education
- 'Pass this, and then you'll be happy'Story · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: As a boy Ajahn Brahm gave up soccer to study, because everyone said that if he passed his O levels (at 14) he'd be happy. Then it was A levels — so he gave up chasing girls. Then…
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I noticed this when I was at university because over in UK, you know, you had to first of all, the first big exams you did were the O levels. That was done usually about 16. I did my O levels when I was 14. And so I work really hard for those O levels because my friends and my families and teachers said if you pass your O levels then you'll be able to get good jobs in life and get enough money you'll be happy at that time I like playing football soccer in the park and I was pretty good you know I I could have been a millionaire by now if id have carried on playing soccer instead of going to [sighs] You seen how much these soccer players get. Anyway, I gave up soccer and just studied and I did very well in my old levels. Was I happy? No, because I had to do more exams, A levels. [clears throat] But A levels were important. You do well at A levels. You can go to university, you can be really happy. So I at that time, as I say, I wasn't chasing footballs then. I was chasing girls. And so you know my family and friends says look stop going out so much just you know just stay at home do your studies get your A levels and then you'll be happy. I I believe them you trusted others. So I did my A levels, did really well and so went to university and that big university Cambridge I mean that's a really big university say wow get your degree from Cambridge and then you'll be happy and that's when I started getting suspicious cuz I saw other people who had got degrees were they happy no they had to do more work either to get an MA or a PhD or something. Or if they didn't do that, they got a job. Were they happy getting a job when you got a degree? No way. They never got enough money. And you had to save up for a car, save up for a place to live. And at that time, you were trying to get just, you know, transport and a place to stay. And also, you know, just trying to get a wife in life if you're a guy. And that was really a lot lot of trouble. I always thought, yeah, once you get a nice wife, I thought, why why do men go to so much trouble getting them? I don't believe it's going to make them happy. So I thought once I get a nice wife and save up to have enough money, nice house, and a car, then I'll be happy. But I did some research. I was smart enough then to know some people who are older. And then what happens? Were they happy? No way. Because once you got married and that was really expensive, you know, you didn't in a bigger house and then you had to have mortgages and have to work hard to pay off the mortgages. You never pay it off because, you know, after four or five years of marriage, you have kids and that's really expensive. And many people kept telling me, "Oh, once the kids grow up and leave home, then I can be happy. And then what happens is by that time most people are close to retirement and they kept saying oh when I retire then I'll be happy I don't have to go to work every morning not so much stress and then when they retire are they happy no that's when I noticed that most of the people who went to especially Christian churches were people who are really old there's quite a few of them here too. You know why? Cuz they think if you go to a church or a mosque or a a temple, then when you die, then you'll be happy.