Stories about harmony
4 Buddhist wisdom stories about harmony from Buddhist teachers, each linked to the original talk.
- Adopt a Muslim orphanStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: In a Gandhi film clip, a Hindu whose son was murdered by Muslims asks what to do with his grief. Gandhi: adopt an orphan — and bring him up as a Muslim.
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a clip video clip of a movie about Mahatma Gandhi. Don't know whether this was a valid and historically accurate but in this particular part of the movie I think Gandhi was going through a fast or something and one of his supporters uh Indian Hindu came up to him and said just I don't like this being peaceful you don't know what it feels like when your own son is murdered you know by in this case is said by Muslim s and he said, "You talk about peace. Give me some understanding why and what I should do when I still feel this grief so deeply." And what Gandhi said, "You've lost a son. There are many children in this area who got no fathers or mothers. Adopt one. Doesn't matter who you adopt. You're a Hindu. please bringing him up as a Muslim. When I remember hearing that, I thought I'd never forget that. What a beautiful piece of advice that was. Don't just say, "I forgive you. Do something more. Muslims killed your son. Go and find a Muslim orphan and bring him up as a Muslim devout." Oh, that was beautiful
- Calendar method — odd days she is rightJoke · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Marriage-harmony joke: on odd days of the month the wife is always right; on even days the husband is. No need to argue — check the calendar. Fair, fair, as they say in Indonesia.
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I always tell this story when I do weddings, another wedding tomorrow afternoon. There's no way you can convince someone they're wrong, so how can you actually make a decision and actually get on in life but not always having to submit. That really sucks doesn't it? He's always right, why do I always have to agree with him? Why does she always have to be right? So the calendar method, the solution, which allows people to live harmoniously with their partners, the calendar method is that when you have an argument, don't argue who's right and wrong! Let the calendar decide! On the odd days of the month she is right. [laughter] The girl is always right on the odd days of the month. On the even days he is right. So that's fair. Today is the 19th, so today all the girls are right! Yay! Be careful, tomorrow he is right. [laughter] That way you don't have to argue anymore. The calendar decides who's right without any arguments and you can make a decision. It's never that bad if the other person makes a decision, not you, at least it's fair. And people have already figured out, you girls have already figured out, you get more days right a year than he does. Only about four or five, but guys, give it to them, it's worth it. The trouble is, people say, what happens if you're in a gay relationship? [laughter] Then you've got me stumped, it doesn't work. Both of you are right on one day, the next day both of you are wrong
- Four old men outside in the rainStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Chinese parable: wealth, success, love and harmony stand as old men in the rain; the family can invite only one in first — harmony must enter or the other three will not stay.
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four old men and the four old men were outside in the rain. It couldn't have been in Australia, not Western Australia anyway, because we don't have rain anymore. But it were outside in the rain and it was cold and they getting wet and soaking. And the owner of the house, not the owner of the house, the woman of the house, she looked out the window and they saw these four old men there getting soaked. And so she invited them in. And they said, "No, we can't come in until your whole family comes home." And you decide which one of us to invite in because you can only invite one of one of us in. And if you invite the correct person, all four of us will come in. If you invite the wrong person, only one will come in. And this was the story. So when everybody came home, then the family had a meeting. They said, "These four old men are getting soaked outside. You've seen them outside, but they won't come in until we decide which one of them to invite first. And if we get it right, they'll all come in." And the four men were called wealth, success, peace, and harmony. And so the father said, "I work so hard. And even though I work hard, it's very difficult to make any money. The government takes most of it in tax. And what I bring home after tax is so many, many uh bills to pay." You know, life is so hard. So, what do I really want? I want wealth. And the wife said, "Oh, no. I want success. I want just my family and you to be successful in life." "Success is much more important than wealth." "No, it isn't," said the father. "Wealth is more important." "No," said the wife. "Success, wealth is more important." And the daughter said, "Shut up, you two. All I want is some peace." And they said, "That's actually quite true. We need some peace in the house." So he said some peace and the father said well some wealth could be good too and the mother said no no no I really really think success is the best and so the three of them started to argue and then the son said look all I ever want in my house between my mother my father my sister and me is some harmony that's really what I want and so they all thought actually I think you are correct so they invited harmony first into their house and when they invited did harmony in, he told them they'd made the correct choice. Because when harmony comes into your house, then following right behind comes peace. And with peace, you'll also find success. And with success, you'll also find wealth. So all the four old men came into the house following harmony. It was a wonderful story about the priority of having harmony
- I put my hand on his knee — we could always solve our differencesStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: As a young monk, Ajahn Brahm meets former Thai PM Dr Sanya Dharmasakti (later the King's chief adviser). The PM says he never met a problem with political enemies he couldn't…
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we had a former Prime Minister of Thailand who came to visit at Incheon I had to speak with him for sure well those of you ties us that dr. Sonya Thomas Hauk he later became the King's chief adviser he was a prime minister for about one year in Thailand and he told me that he'd been in a support position he said there was never ever a problem I couldn't solve with my enemies with other politicians never was there a problem I couldn't solve and I just went to see them just the two of us he said I put my hand on his knee which in Thailand didn't mean you were gay it meant you were friends I put my hand on his knee as an act of friendship and because I'm a friendship the first part of our conversation we could always solve our differences and he meant that he was sincere and when a person is such an important and position weather is offered so much conflict is a prime minister a leader of a nation involved in other politicking and vested interest when he could say things like that I thought well why can I say things like that when I'm not a prime minister