Stories about non-attachment
2 Buddhist wisdom stories about non-attachment from Buddhist teachers, each linked to the original talk.
- The monk who gave the IT keynoteStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Though he says he knows little about computers, Ajahn Brahm accepts an invitation to give the keynote address at a World Computer Conference/Congress, simply because it is an…
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This is another thing which happened just today, I was checking the e-mail and I think I told some of you, if you got good memories that during the last retreat period I did take one invitation to leave the monastery and that was to go to this world computer conference in Brisbane. And the only reason I did that, I thought it was interesting I have never done that before. I am a monk okay I can get on a computer but I don't know anything about IT and there they asked me to give the keynote at the World Computer Conference in Brisbane last year. I thought that was interesting. That is a sort of challenge. I like doing weird things. So I rocked up there I gave a keynote and I just got the email they said from the organizers just this afternoon . And they said that was the most popular presentations. They put everything on the internet and that has been the most downloaded session and the President of the World Computer Society in Australia summarized it up and printed it out and published in the Australian, in the IT section. So there you go I am the expert on IT. Just the world renowned lecturer on IT.
- The stolen Harley on the wrong levelStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: An early member owns almost nothing except his prized Harley-Davidson. In a Sydney shopping centre car park he returns to find it gone, contemplates the teachings — “I don't own…
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I can't pass by this story of one of the people who used to come here in the very early days. The only thing he was ever attached to, the only possession he had was his Harley Davidson, incredibly beautiful motorbike. And those things are worth 50 60 thousand dollars. even more than that. just a bike; it's just worth a huge amount of money. But that was his pride and joy. He just stayed with friends, He just rented houses with people, wore old cloths but he had his Harley. And he told me once, I think he was over in Sydney somewhere, he went shopping and he parked his Harley in the shopping center. Just may be half an hour that's all it took. He went to buy something when he came back to the car park his Harley was gone. someone has stolen it. And he being a Buddhist for a long time. and he thought 'Am I attached to this', can I let it go; someone has stolen it. He wrote to me about this afterwards; and he said he really thought about it ; it is proving what the Buddha kept on telling me what the monks and nuns always said I don't own these things. It's not really mine and he actually let it go. That's what he wrote to me.. he was so proud of himself All these teachings he had been hearing year after year they finally worked. He lost his only possession, the only thing which was really worth anything has been stolen and he could be at peace with it. Ok I let it go, I can live without a Harley And he was so pleased with himself, he could actually do a letting go. Showed him that he wasn't attached. Some karmic forces which is really weird because as soon as he realized he let it go; that he felt the joy that he wasn't attached it was only then he realized he was on the wrong level of the car park. (laughs) You know what it is you have done that sometimes. And of course when he went back to the correct level , there was his Harley Davidson sitting there (laughs) He says it was a beautiful experience for him. It just tested him and now he knew he could enjoy that Harvey Davidson knowing he wasn't attached. Enjoy the extra months and years which he had with his Harley and he knew that when someone eventually stole it or got it crashed or whatever happen he knew he could let it go. He realized yes he can enjoy without being attached.