Stories about performance
3 Buddhist wisdom stories about performance from Buddhist teachers, each linked to the original talk.
- Grasshopper and the pool of acidStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: In an episode of 'Kung Fu', the blind master shows the novice Grasshopper a pool of 'acid' with bones at the bottom and a plank across it, then has him practise on a plank on…
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I can't help but mention that story which is in "Opening the Door of Your Heart," about the TV story which I saw as a young man called "Kung Fu." I think with David Carradine, I think, if my memory is good. I remember this particular scene which was all about the power of fear. In this particular scene, they took this young monk, this novice monk, he's called "Grasshopper," and he had a master, this blind very very wise Buddhist monk who was teaching him all sorts of interesting things about life. But this was real Buddhism, it was not theory, it was actually life, practice. So in this one episode he took little Grasshopper inside a room, a secret room which was normally kept locked and no novice was allowed to go in. And as he opened the door and took little Grasshopper in, and obviously the camera followed, in this little movie-TV series. And when the lights became easy to see, the master asked Grasshopper, because the master was blind, he said "Grasshopper, what can you see, what can you see?" And Grasshopper, and I looking at the TV, Grasshopper said, "A swimming pool, it's like a pool." And the master said, "Be very careful, but go to the edge, and what you see in the bottom?" Grasshopper very carefully went to the edge of the pool and he said, "I see bones, lots of bones in the pool, master." "Exactly" said the master, "Those are human bones, because that isn't water, that is acid, strong concentrated acid, be careful." Of course Grasshopper stood back, because this is dangerous. "What else do you see," said the master. "I see a plank," said Grasshopper, "stretching from one side of the pool to the other side." "Exactly, said the master, "This is going to be a test for you, as all novices have to pass this test, you have to walk on that plank across the pool of strong concentrated acid, and I don't want you to fall in and add your bones to the bones of all the other young novices who fell in." Little Grasshopper looked very scared, and I must admit, watching the TV, I got scared too. [laughter] "But," said the master "come outside." And outside in the monastery courtyard there was another plank exactly the same size and length, only just put on two bricks. "Practice," said the master to Grasshopper, "you have 7 days, no other duties, just practice walking on this plank, because in 7 days' time you'll have to walk over the acid," strong concentrated novice-eating acid. So he practiced for 7 days, no problem at all, after half a day, easy to balance. But after 7 days it was a real thing, and the master took Grasshopper into the room once again, and the master ordered Grasshopper, "Stand on the edge of the plank." And you could see the novice's legs start to wobble out of terror, 'cause this was not just on a plank over hard concrete in the courtyard, this was over acid and one slip, one little error and he would fall in and die a horrible death. "Walk," said the master. And Grasshopper turned around, and you could read the look on Grasshopper's face, "Don't, please master, don't let me walk." "Walk," said the master, so Grasshopper started walking, unsteadily at first but as he got closer to the middle it was even more unsteady as his legs appeared to start to give way. You could see him shake, and then wobble and then sway, and it really looked like he was about to fall in, and that's when it stopped for the commercial breaks. [laughter] I hated those commercial breaks. So you had to watch stupid advertisements for soap powder and toothpaste before you could go back and find out what really happened to Grasshopper. So after an interminable wait on these stupid advertisements, you were back in that terrifying room. But usually just 3 or 4 seconds behind where they left off, you can start to see Grasshopper, he wasn't swaying yet, he was just wobbling. As he got closer to the middle of the pool, he wobbled and swayed even more and it looked like he was gonna fall in, you know what happened? He fell in, he fell into the pool of acid. And what did the compassionate master do? He just laughed as Grasshopper splashed around, and the master laughed even more, and Grasshopper realized he wasn't being burned. Master said, "Grasshopper, you found out now, it's only water, it wasn't acid, it was just water, and as for the bones, we just threw them down there for special effects, to make you scared. Why did you fall in, little Grasshopper? Fear pushed you in, fear made you fall, only fear.
- Half an hour in a locked fire exitStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Arriving in Singapore after an overnight flight and straight into teaching, then playing himself in a Buddhist play's matinee, Ajahn Brahm is exhausted with another performance…
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I remember going to Singapore once Friday night here; I think and overnight fight to Singapore as soon as you land, off to teaching and that particular time they had this concert on. matinee concert, one in the afternoon, what I was doing was just playing myself in this Buddhist type play. After play myself in the morning they went out for Supper, pre-dinner after lunch, I don't know what they called it, but they ate at any time in Singapore, like most of Asia, I don't know what they call it Lunch, Dinner they just eat, that's all it is. Any way they went off to eat and of course being a monk you couldn't have any dinner. I was so wasted, so tired, I know, there was another performance coming on in a half an hour, I had to fun everybody, entertain them and say something wise, or smart, that's why you come up here, so I can say something wise and smart and otherwise you think you come and wasted your Friday night. So, every Friday night, the pressure is on I'v got to say something smart, wise, so you could actually say ahh..it's worth coming anyway, there the pressure was on and I was totally exhausted. So, that's exactly what I did I found a quiet place, it was actually a locked exit, so no one can go through, and I just sat down there and meditated, let go of the past, let go of the future and you could feel the tiredness in your body and in your brain and just rest with them, don't do anything, make peace with them, be kind to it, and the energy starts coming back again. So, in the afternoon when I came out of the half an hour meditation, I could perform to a very high standard.
- Top of medicine by being silentStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: A woman tells Ajahn Brahm she came top every year in medicine at Melbourne University with first-class honours because she knew how to meditate: she kept her mind silent in…
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One girl who told me she did medicine at Melbourne University top every year, first class honours because she knew how to meditate and be silent when the lecturer was speaking. Exams came make her mind absolutely silent, read the question in silence first thought which came up in her mind wrote it down, perfect answer.