Stories about mothers
5 Buddhist wisdom stories about mothers from Buddhist teachers, each linked to the original talk.
- He almost bought lunch for the lady who looked like MumStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Stuck out of the monastery before noon, he queues at a food court behind a little old pensioner who looks like his late mother. He wants his attendant to buy her meal from…
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I remember going to a food court and the person in front of me you I was with the anara the the the attendant holding the M the person in front of me with this very old lady and she was ordering herself I think a roast meal and as soon as I saw her I thought of my old mother cuz you know she she looked about the same size the same type of curly hair and this little old lady a pensioner was just trying to get her lunch and nice probably treat for her and as soon as I saw her now the thought was in my mind I know this and I shouldn't do this I know this is not my Mindy but I wanted to ask the fellow with me you know you buy a her meal you know I want to sort of donate it because it was like my mom and you just I felt really sad and that was one moment I said no you're not really supposed to do that it's not my money it's a Buddhist society's money and I really regret that you know I think I should have done that because I thought of the consequences I lost my compassion
- Hey Hare Krishna — and he was oneStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Shopping with his mother on Ealing Broadway, someone shouts 'Hey Hare Krishna!' Embarrassed for mum, he educates the beanie-wearing heckler that he is a Buddhist monk — then the…
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somebody shouted out hey Harry Krishna nah you know they know that you know many years ago they don't know what a Buddhist monk is and they just think they're all the same so my mum was with me I said okay look Mom I'm not having this I've got to educate this person this person is wearing a beanie in a sort of you know a coat because it was cold and I went out to him and said excuse me sir I am not Harry Krishna I'm a Buddhist monk okay you should know better and he listened quite patiently and smiled and then he lifted off his beanie had a little ponytail at the back and said I know you were Buddhist monk I'm Harry Kushner Harry Krishna
- Oh my God — the Fremantle DockerJoke · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Four Catholic mothers compare pride: one son's a priest (Father), one's a bishop (Your Grace), one's a cardinal (Your Eminence). The fourth: her son never joined a church — he…
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There was four mothers having a cup of coffee in Cottesloe somewhere. (LAUGHTER) And one of the mothers said, "This round of coffee is on me because I'm celebrating. Today," she said, "Today, this morning, my son became a Catholic priest." She said, "I'm so proud of him," —this is a bunch of Catholics because it doesn't work if it's not Catholic, nothing against Catholics, (LAUGHTER) it doesn't work otherwise— and she said, "Now, everybody in his church bows and calls him father. I'm so, so proud of my son." And then the next lady, another Catholic, she sniffs and says, "Ah, that's nothing. Only a priest? My son became a priest ten years ago. Now, he is a bishop; he's a bishop. When he, in his church, people go on one knee; they kiss his ring and they call him: Your Grace! Your Grace! I'm so proud of him." The third lady, she sips her coffee and says: "Only a bishop? My son was a bishop five years ago. He is now a cardinal. When he comes into the church, everybody gets down on both knees and they call him: Your Eminence! Your Eminence! I'm so proud of my son. He's now a cardinal." Then they all look at the fourth lady. and the fourth lady finishes her coffee, and she says: "That's nothing; that's nothing at all. My son... my son never joined any church; my son...my son joined the Fremantle Dockers. He is 6 foot 4 inches tall; he's drop-dead gorgeous; when he comes into a room, all the girls go right on the floor, and say: Oh my God! Oh my God! (LAUGHTER) I'm so proud of him." (LAUGHTER) Okay. for those who are listening overseas, Fremantle Dockers is one of the footy teams over here. Please, excuse me, if you're an Eagle supporters, but I try and balance it every time
- The torn-up degrees his mother taped back togetherStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: On his first visit home as a monk, Ajahn Brahm finds his BA and MA certificates at his mother's and, needing them no longer, tears them up and throws them in the bin, feeling…
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when I went first went home to visit my mother know she had them my ba my ma and I thought I'm a monk I don't need these I tore them up and threw them in the Dustbin and I thought that was a wonderful thing to do until an hour later I saw my mother patiently taping them together with C on the kitchen table I felt terrible when I saw that and I realized they weren't my degrees they were hers cuz her son she was proud of me
- “This is my son, the monk”Story · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: On his first visit home after seven years as a monk, when monks in London were seen as weirdos, Ajahn Brahm asks to join his mother on her Saturday shopping, expecting her to be…
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My own story, it’s my own mother’s love for the kid. I went to visit my mother for the first time after seven years as a monk, that’s thirty three years ago, what year would that be, 1980 something and you know, this was time in London when monks weren’t cool. You know, we were just weirdos, real strange people. And so when I went to visit my mother, her weekly routine was, on a Saturday morning doing her shopping, (she was working as a secretary), so she hadn’t time to get sort of the groceries and other stuff while looking after the apartment. So Saturday morning, will be shopping time. Saturday afternoon going to the hairdressers, you know, routine. And I went all that way to spend time to hang out with my mother, haven’t seen her for seven years. So I asked, “Can I come with you, you know, on your shopping on a Saturday morning?” And I thought I was ready for her to say no because she might be ashamed to be seen with this son, dressed like a girl, brown robes, bald head, that was really weird. And of course, she said, “No, no, come.” And so, when we walked to the shops again, I thought she would, like teenagers walking a couple of metres in front of mom and dad, couple of metres behind, you know, I’m not associated with these, moms and dads aren’t cool. But no, she was right beside me. And then for those people who know London, the streets are very narrow, full of traffic, and they have a small side walk. And in order to protect the pedestrians on the pavement, the side walk from the traffic, they have railings and it’s the railings where, people when they enter the shops, they usually leave the prams with the kids inside and they tie the dogs there, and I thought that’s where my mother would leave me, [laughter] with the dogs and the babies, you know, not to take me inside the shop because I think these are her friends she sees every week. They know each other and she’d be embarrassed to see me, but no. She dragged me into the first shop, the news agents, where she got me some weekly magazines. And to my surprise, she introduced me “This is my son, the monk.” [laughter] She was proud of me and that was something I never expected because I never knew just the love of a mother for the son was what we call unconditional.