Stories about monastery life
15 Buddhist wisdom stories about monastery life from Buddhist teachers, each linked to the original talk.
- Almost no equity on Magnolia StreetStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: When Ajahn Brahm and Ajahn Jagaro looked at the fledgling BSWA's books at 4 Magnolia Street, North Perth, the house was worth about $50,000 and they owed nearly $49,000 — almost…
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Look at this place. If you didn't know where we started from, 35 years ago, 36 years, or about roughly about that, a tiny little house in North Perth, number 4 Magnolia Street, if any of you want to check it out. Should have a little sign in here. This is the start of the Buddhist Society of Western Australia. With Ajahn Jagaro and I, I remember going in there and just looking at, there was no security, no um trying to sort of find out, you know, the the membership list and everything. It's everything was out in the open. So, I looked and said, "Oh, you know, what's our what's our bank account balance?" And how much do we owe for the house? And I remember being so surprised and shocked that the house was worth $50,000. And we owed 49,000 and a bit to the bank. And I said, "No equity at all, basically." [laughter] And that's where we started.
- Can we build that hall your way — and can I be the builder?Story · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Ajahn Brahm's last real argument was with then-abbot Ajahn Jagaro over the design of Bodhinyana's meditation hall — notes left outside each other's huts for a week. Brahm came to…
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and the last real argument which I had are very proud of this argument that's why I keep telling people about it words with the former output of voting the other Monastery because I didn't I was always there but there was another Monk who was my boss when I first went over there and for those of you who see our meditation Hall in bodinana Monastery that was his design my design was much better much cheaper much to this day I still think that he was his he wanted his way I wanted my way and I wasn't going to give in no this was important this is a monastery it's really important the buildings are going to be there for years we've got to get it right and so for a week we argued but we didn't the way we argued is actually instead of actually looking at each other we would just like man or wife I think just you said no's to each other you know I don't know this is the reasons why we should build a hall this way and I left it outside his Hut and next a few hours later I got another night if I had to buy that all these reasons what we should do his way it's crazy stuff there's many many years ago and in the end you know hopefully you do come to your senses the conflict what are you doing that for and that's what I came to record this is ridiculous and I'm a monk I shouldn't be doing this so actually I went to his Hut instead of actually putting a note in front of his store I knocked on his door come in and I said sort of I I'm sorry I asked forgiveness and I did the full ceremony bowing offering flowers and incense and Buddhist ceremony of asking forgiveness and he was very touched by that and he thought wow this is beautiful this is what monks should be like and then you know there's some making up and then we didn't kiss no we don't do such like that we just you know do the same thing so afterwards and I said to him and said once we did a sermon he said and he said oh that's really beautiful what you said that's very high minded of you and said oh thank you can I ask for two favors and that's where he he stopped and thought what's he up to is this going to be another argument and what I said next I'm always very proud of you know I don't mind saying the good things which I've done I say the bad things what you do but the good things are inspiring and they so inspire me I told him said now I've asked forgiveness so far I can read through my first favor I want to ask of you can we build that Hall your way they said yes or that very quickly I said my second favorite is can I be the Builder I want to spend about a year and a half which I did building that place your way I said wow that's really inspiring and inspired me as well it wasn't just okay you do it your way you know I'm out of here I'm not going to help you that stupid hole so I built that hole my name's actually on the building license on that Hall and I spent a long time doing that because I thought that's a beautiful thing to do because the harmony the peace the inspiration was something more important than arguing with people and having conflict they're learning how to work together yeah you can have differences of opinion you can talk it out and you know find a sensitive Moment by really listening deeply and finding out the right time to talk about these things and then actually just amazing the right time and place you can have this beautiful beautiful outcomes because for me you know what is a monastery anyway s not the buildings it's a people you know if you go to boating down a monastery I'm sure you can find more inspiring buildings in other places but it's the atmosphere it's the people the monks that's more important this place over here not a marvelous and I'm sure you can find a much more comfortable place to spend the Friday evening than just sitting on the floor with your legs aching now squash in the chairs not trying difficult to find power parking there's many more comfortable places to come but there's something else happening in the atmosphere the goodness the kindness the people that is what makes a monastery so I got my priorities right a marriage
- Cattamalo's real worry about the tsunamiStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Ajahn Brahm is in Penang (he first says Phuket) when the 2004 tsunami hits. Afterwards he learns that his second monk Ajahn Cattamalo had been ringing frantically — not so much…
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I still remember when the tsunami hit, I remember that very clearly because I was actually in Phuket that day, sorry not Phuket, I was in Penang, sorry, that day when the tsunami hit and of course the tsunami killed a few people in Penang Island as well. The reason I remember that is because my second monk at that time Ajahn Cattamalo who was very, very concerned, he was ringing up to try and find out how Ajahn Brahm was, because I was in the tsunami zone. I found out afterwards he wasn't so concerned about me but was very concerned if I died he'd have to be abbot (laughs). That was a big worry. I remember just when I returned and the newspapers were asking all the religious leaders - why did that happen?
- Caught with his trousers down in the bushfireStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: An Iranian ex-Muslim convert (named Muhammad, barred from a KL Buddhist talk, renamed in Australia) was at Bodhinyana in the 1991 fire; while evacuating he somehow stopped to…
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So, as soon as he came to Australia, he changed his name. So, he was there during the bush fire. And I don't know why this happens. I'll always remember this. We were hiding in the main hall just protecting when the the fire front hit. And then we got the orders from you know to evacuate. And this guy What This is where you get the the word from, getting caught with your trousers down. For some reason, he decided to change his trousers. And as we were in the car waiting for him, he came running out without any trousers
- Fat bottoms polish the temple floorsJoke · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Joke about why temple floors in Asia and at Serpentine's Dhamma hall shine: centuries of people fidgeting on the floor — every fat bottom is a polish pad.
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you see all the floors are always very highly polished have you ever notice that you go to Asia see highly polished floors in the in the temples you know where they come from they come from people like you sit on the floor fidgeting all the time and every time you fidget with your fat bottom you polish the floor and after many centuries my goodness those flaws are very highly polished
- He pats the monastery carStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Other monks can't start the car; he pats it, says kind words, pulls the starter — it works. Treat the tired car like a being that came through hot weather to the temple.
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Pat it okay I admit that I patted it and said said some nice words to it and pull the Str it would work it would so it's true you try that to your car if it if you're cruel to your car it will keep breaking down if you stroke and said there car come on no I know you're tired you come all the way out there a hot weather today you come to you know the temple and it's really really late now
- He trained the muscles beside his spineStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: A Bodhinyana monk with degenerative spine pain was told not to sit cross-legged. Using mindfulness he learned to feel, stretch and strengthen the muscles either side of the spine…
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his spine was degenerated and was very weak. So what he did was, to compensate the weakness in his spine by learning how to develop the muscles either side of his spine. Starting off just by touching his back, with his fingers, the muscles on either side of the spine to become aware of them There is so much of our body we are not aware of at all. Because we don't need to be. And by keeping on stroking those muscles either side of the spine soon he became aware of the very existence of those muscles. In neurology you are making those connections in the brain. So you can feel those muscles. And then next thing with a bit of trial and error once he was aware of those muscles even without touching them he could learn how to stretch them trial and error the awareness could see how they stretch and how they contract. Once he could do that, next stage he could exercise those muscles just like you exercise your arms or exercise your legs through running. By working those muscles he exercised them and of course every time they exercise they got stronger and stronger and stronger until they became so strong much stronger than my equivalent muscles because I don't need them I've got a good back His muscles became so strong they compensated for the weakness in his spine and now he can meditate without any problem
- Holy water by the bucket — then she sold itStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Thai member Poonsup Wong, always sick, asks Ajahn Brahm for holy water by the 11-litre bucket each week. A Chinese man later rings wanting to buy it 'direct from source, cheap' —…
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some years ago, there was a Thai lady who married to a Chinese man. Many of you may remember her. Her name, I don't mind saying this, Poonsup Wong. Her husband was called George. And Poonsup, she was a Thai lady, but always she was always very sick. So much so that, you know, once she asked me, "Can you make me some holy water?" You know, this nam mon which, you know, sometimes you sprinkle people with. I said, "Yeah, sure." She said, "No, not a little bit. Can you make me by the bucket?" You know, like 11-liter buckets, plastic buckets. So, once a week, I'd make her a whole bucket of holy water, cuz I thought she was very sick. I'm a very kind monk. [laughter] So, that's what you want, that's what I'll give you. And that for weeks she was having this holy water by the bucket load. And then I found out what she was up to. Cuz I got a telephone call at Bodhinyana Monastery from a Chinese gentleman. He said, "I want to purchase some of your holy water." I said, "We don't purchase it. We give it away for free. This is like monks. We're not business people." He said, "No, no, no. You sell it." I don't. "It's very good." I said, "I don't sell it." And then uh something started to click in my mind. "What are you talking about?" He said, "I get mine from Mrs. Poonsup Wong. I want to cut out the middle white man or middle woman and get it direct from source, cheap." And I found out what she was up to. The bucket of holy water, 11 liters, she was taking it home and just dividing it up and then just it selling it a odd. She had a nice little order there. So as soon as I told her that was the end of that game.
- The celebratory pork curry that ended his enlightenmentStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: After four years as a monk Ajahn Brahm had a great satori and thought he was enlightened. That morning, instead of the usual rotten fish curry, there was rare pork curry from…
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When I had my great Satori experience Four years as a monk and everything became really clear I really thought I was Enlightened You can read the whole story, it's very self deprecating until the food came that morning usually we have rotten fish curry for that morning there was another pot of curry It was actually... sorry if you are vegetarian there was no vegetarian food around in Thailand those days and the other food was like a pork curry from town we never have that that is really rare and straight away I thought the heavenly beings are also celebrating my Enlightenment I thought wow this is great because that's such a rare event and I was number two monk and the head monk a local boy actually from that local village he should have liked the rotten fish curry he grew up on it that was a local dish and he never took any rotten fish curry He took -- incredible big ladles no one could eat that much of the pork curry He sloshed it into his bowl. I wasn't concerned about that because there was plenty left you know of the pork curry but what he did next was absolutely unforgivable he took what was left of the pork curry and he poured it into the rotten fish curry; stirred it up and said it's all the same, it's all the same What a hypocrite, if it was all the same why didn't he pour it in and mix it up before he took his and he spoiled my celebratory meal for being .. Arahant doesn't worry about food. That was ... oh no... I am not fully enlightened after all but I really felt like it for a long time had all the.... no sloth and torpor, incredible energy absolutely imperturbable that was great Shame it didn't last that long So that is what these satoris are And the only way you can find out if it is the real thing if it really persist over years So just one great insight not enough
- The Elvis impersonator with the walking stickStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: At the old North Perth temple a man who had fallen off a roof and suffered brain damage starts dressing as Elvis, comes violent with a walking stick (always missing), and Ajahn…
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I remember this one guy once, this was in our previous temple over in North Perth. When I first came here he'd fallen off a roof and he hit his head and he was actually crazy, he had brain damage. And he was very nice guy at first, but now he started dressing up like Elvis Presley and impersonating Elvis Presley. He was out of his mind and he came to see me and he was violent, he had his walking stick and every now and again he'd try hitting me with a walking stick but always missing. He wasn’t a very good shot thank goodness and the only thing I could remember to do, I had no, I had no training on how to counsel people who were that sort of mad. The only thing I could think of: just make peace, be kind, be gentle, make peace, be kind be gentle, even though I didn't know what I was doing and I was in a very dangerous, very... maybe not life-threatening but I could certainly got injured very easily if I'd have said the wrong word and upset him, he'd have smashed me with his walking stick for sure. "Be kind, be peaceful, be gentle." And you calmed the whole person down. It's wonderful to be able to do things like that. When you know how to make good mental kamma, you get good results.
- The monk with the divine ear sat in Ajahn Chah's chairStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: A monk Ajahn Brahm knew in Thailand claimed he could hear people talking about 12 kilometres away; when tested it was true — a 'divine ear'. Pride followed: one day he sat in…
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and just to make things interesting there was one monk I knew when I first went to Thailand who had that power he was tested out when he said he could hear people talking about 12 kilo meters away. when he made that claim we said you are crazy he said, no it is true and when we went to check in it was absolutely true he had what they say in the suttas a divine ear this incredible hearing And the problem what happened with him was he started getting this psychic power, obviously with incredible meditation then he thought he was so highly attained and one day he actually sat in Ajahn Chah's chair and said... Ajahn Chah is nobody I am the real Abbot here And it was an example of the pride and ego which sometimes comes up when you start to attain such things which is one of the reasons why in monastic Buddhism they are suppressed If you do get any psychic powers we don't talk about it that much especially if the person is still alive If they are dead we don't mind
- The ranger's spot check hit a fire drillStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: After a bushfire-era Fire and Emergency Service certificate (Mitchell Roberts presenting), a shire ranger did an unannounced spot check and found every monk already in fire suits…
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the local ranger of our Shire decided to do a spot check on us, on our monastery, you know. Because to make sure we had everything going. And it just so happened that all the monks were in our fire suits, we had a fire and things going, we were doing a drill. It was true. And this ranger just said "Did you guys know I was coming?" I said "No no no no no." And they were in the middle of a drill and he did a spot check
- The Thai dancers and the sprinklersStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: At a big Jhana Grove ceremony, Thai dancers in full costume were performing on the grass when the reticulation came on and soaked them. Ajahn Brahm knew where the switch was and…
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people were dancing on the grass and then the the the um reticulation system came on and they all got terribly wet. That's one of the funniest experiences cuz all these people there tie dancers all dressed up you know in their tie dancing garb and they were dancing. Well, I can't do tight touching, you know, just this and that. And then and then they were just really getting into it and as all the water started coming up. I think that was one of the greatest um exhibitions of tie gun tie tie dancing gone wrong I've ever seen. It was so funny. Not for them, of course. But anyway, I knew where the switch was and I should have turned it off much quicker, but I must admit I indulged in that. I apologize
- The tired schoolteacher on alms roundStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: An old friend who became a schoolteacher visits Ajahn Brahm in northeast Thailand. Exhausted and stressed, he resists the dawn alms round; Brahm insists. Walking back afterwards…
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he came to visit me in thailand many many years ago and he was he became like a school teacher and i was a monk and he came to visit me in thailand and when he arrived there it's amazing to actually define me all that way and so i settled him into his room and i said one of the wonderful things to experience in those days in northeast thailand was the arms round in the morning could we get up really early at dawn and just as the they get slight the monks take their ball and they walk silently mindfully through the village and it's really poor people they get up early to put some rice in the monk's bowl and if you don't go there they sort of come and ask you where have you been we want you to come here seeing peaceful calm people first thing in the morning it starts our day and we'd really miss it if you never came so it was just a sight of peaceful people calm quiet people just walking through the village reminding them of their spirituality and they'd come in there and quietly they put a bit of rice in the poll and then we come back to the to the monastery afterwards for our meal and you know that i said this is one of the best times of the morning it's cool the light is perfect you know you must come and he said listen i'm just i'm so tired i get so stressed at work there's no way i can wake up at that time of the morning and i said you don't have to worry at all i'll come to your room and i'll knock on the door 15 minutes before we go so you can get time to get ready okay that was the agreement and i obviously did that and as we were walking back he thanked me because there was a wonderful time of the day and it was really spiritual peaceful kind people looking after one another and he on the way back he told me thank you for
- They emptied the donation box on New Year's DayStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: During the BSWA New Year's Day ceremony someone emptied the donation box. When people got upset Ajahn Brahm told them not to: it's only money — that is not what the centre is for.
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on this New Year's Day, our Buddhist Society got robbed. Somebody came in here while we're doing our New Year's day ceremony and emptied the donation box. Aww, wasn't that nice? I hope they really enjoyed all the money they got, and had a very good time with it. I told people at the time; when they're getting upset and angry. Don't get upset and angry. It's money. That's not what we're here for