Stories about resilience
11 Buddhist wisdom stories about resilience from Buddhist teachers, each linked to the original talk.
- A loose guitar stringAnalogy · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Simile: the tighter a guitar string is stretched, the higher it pings when something hits it; less stretched, a lower sound; not stretched at all, no sound. That's resilience — a…
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I gave it another simile of being like a guitar string and when a guitar string is stretched the tighter it is stretched stretched when something hits it it really makes a high-pitched sound and when it's not stretched so much it makes a lower pitch sound when it's hardly stretched at all it makes a very low sound when it's not stretched at all it makes no sound at all that's like people's resilience the way they react to some of the unpleasant things which happens in life
- A sack of wet mashed potatoesAnalogy · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Simile: a rested mind isn't brittle but soft like a sack of wet mashed potatoes — hit it and it makes no sound, doesn't reverberate. Or like a padded cell: what hits it just goes…
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You become soft like a sack of wet mashed potatoes. You can hit it and it doesn't even just make any sound at all. It doesn't even reverberate because it's soft. Have a mind like what I call like a padded cell. So when something hits it, it just go squelch on the wall rather than bouncing back again. Have this mind so soft, people can call you anything and you just smile like an idiot.
- Laughing when you hit your headStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: As a young monk in Thailand, Ajahn Brahm travelled to ceremonies in the back of a ute under a tarpaulin stretched over a metal frame. On the pot-holed dirt roads, every bump…
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And I learned this when I was reminded of this story by one of uh our Thai followers that when I was a young monk that we used to go over the for invitations here all over the place uh in Thailand uh in the back of a of a ute, a pickup truck. And uh I did actually go once on a back of a motorbike as a monk. Never again on a motorbike. Cuz you know what happens? You can imagine these robes and a motorbike. Once they pick up any speed, the wind gets inside of them and it balloons up. And I was I always thought I was going to fly off because like a big balloon. And but fortunately I managed to hold on just so I never go on a on a motorbike with loose robes like this. But anyway, on the back of a truck, the old utes, they would have like a cover on it, a metal frame over which was draped a tarpool in. And that was a place where you'd sit in the back with all the other monks going to this or that um ceremony. And number one, it was really dusty. At least the top water would keep off any rain. And these were those days where the roads were all uh just dirt roads with lots of potholes. In fact, because there was lots of potholes that every time every time that truck, that ute hit a pothole, what would happen was the ute went down and I would go up and hit my head on the metal frame. And that really hurt, especially because I've got no padding. So you hit your head really hard on this metal again and again and again. And I just this was getting too too much. It's really hurting. And I noticed that when any of the Thai monks or lashed monks whenever they crack their head on one of these uh the metal um frame on which the tarpon was was was covered, when they hit their head, they never sort of grimaced. They never swore. They laughed. And they must have been hurting as much as I was, but they were laughing at the pain. And I thought, what's going on here? And because scientists before, so I used my science, my western sort of logic to actually think of explanations and theories why when Thai monks hit their head, they laughed. And my first theory was they must have hit their head so many times that they were brain damaged. But of course that wasn't the case cuz they were really nice monks. They're very smart. And so then I thought I couldn't understand. So what do you do? You do experiment. Know western culture do an experiment. Find out. So I resolved. So the next time I hit my head, I was going to laugh instead of swear. I'd always always swear in English because the time I couldn't understand me, I thought, but they did. But anyway, when the next time I hit my head, I laughed and I discovered an amazing theory. You should get the Nobel Prize for things like this because it's actually practical that when you laugh when you hit your head, it hurts much less. And if you don't believe me, get the person sitting next to you to hit you on the head. Better not do it here. I get in trouble with insurance. But you can see that just one's attitude towards sickness and pain changes many many things. It does actually hurt much less when you laugh.
- The bomb next door in the BlitzStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: During the London Blitz a bomb falls right next to the terraced house where Ajahn Brahm's mother and grandmother are. The neighbours, only five or six metres away, are killed…
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Even my family, parents and grandparents would tell me about life in London during the Second World War during the Blitz where a bomb fell right next to a terrace house. The next terrace house where my mother and grandma were. People in the next house are neighbors. They were instantly killed. My mother had her arm lacerated. She hardly remembers it, but it did happen apparently. And these were the old terrace houses which was only maybe what maybe 5 mters wide, 6 m wide to the next house. And they said there were some of the most wonderful times when even though many people were dying, there's so much kindness and help and joy and even joy as well.
- The donkey in the wellStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: A farmer tries to bury a donkey that fell into a dry well; with every shovelful of dirt, the donkey shakes it off and steps up on it, until it climbs out, bites the farmer and…
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there was a donkey, just walking happily along in the forest, just munching and minding its own business. Because it wasn't mindful, he fell into a well, the well was dry so it didn't drown, and he didn't really injure himself, just a few bruises and scratches. When the donkey came to his senses he realized he was at the bottom of a well and there's no way up because donkeys can't climb. The only thing the donkey thought he could do was to cry for help to get someone's attention otherwise he would die down there of starvation. So he started crying for help. [makes donkey sound] I can't really do donkey noises, as I think now you have understood because probably I've got no previous incarnations as a donkey. [laughter] Ajahn: Those people who imitate animal noises, it must be that in your last life you were an animal. [laughter] As for me, I wasn't a donkey in my last life so [makes donkey sound] is the best I can do. " [makes donkey sound] ," said the donkey again and again. After a couple of hours actually somebody heard him. It was the local farmer. "What's making that noise?" He came over and saw it was coming from the well. He looked down, "my goodness, a donkey has fallen down that well." Now that farmer never liked that donkey. The donkey was always eating his farm produce and was being very stubborn. He'd never do what the farmer wanted. He also realized that well was a very dangerous thing. Somebody might fall in that well, a human. He thought of a wonderful idea. He could get rid of that dangerous well and the donkey at the same time. He got out a spade and started filling that well with earth. The cruel farmer. Now, if you do something like that it's called "bad karma." If you do any bad karma you're going to get unpleasant consequences, as you will see as this story develops. [laughter] So this donkey at the bottom of the well, thinking at first the farmer would help him, realized the farmer's trying to kill him by shoveling all this dirt over the donkey. When the donkey realized that, [makes donkey sound] even louder. [laughter] But that didn't stop the farmer. He just kept shoveling more dirt over this donkey, more and more dirt, trying to fill in the well and bury the donkey alive. After a while the donkey went quiet and never said anything. The farmer thought, "I've killed him." "I've buried him. Good riddance," and kept on shoveling. But the donkey hadn't died. The donkey, who must have also gone to Nollamara in the previous life... [laughter] Ajahn: ...had insight. He was a very smart donkey. Never underestimate donkeys. His insight was this. Instead of complaining when people throw dirt all over you, instead of complaining, just shake it off, tread it in, and he found he was growing a centimeter taller. The next shovel full of earth, shake it off, stamp it in, he's another centimeter higher. Every shovel of earth, he was getting closer and closer to the top of the well. Now the farmer, thinking the donkey had died already, paid no attention at all, shoveling, shoveling, when a pair of donkey ears appeared above the top of the well. Shovel, shovel, shovel. Shake it off, stamp it in, until a donkey head appeared at the top of the well. Before the farmer realized, the donkey was close enough to the surface it jumped out and bit the farmer on the backside. [laughter] Ajahn: Not because the donkey didn't like the farmer, but because he had to show the farmer the law of karma. [laughter] He was just an agent of cause and effect. He ran away. That's how the donkey escaped from the well.
- The man in constant 'saw-cut' pain who was at peaceStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: A man tells Ajahn Brahm that scans at Osborne Park Hospital's pain clinic show his pain equals having an arm sawn off with a two-handed saw — 24 hours a day. Yet Ajahn Brahm…
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The level of pain which he was experiencing constantly was exactly the same as an ordinary person would experience if they were having their arm cut off with a chainsaw And he was experiencing that constantly. And that was an objective standard. They could do the brain scan and say this is what this guy is actually feeling. So you can imagine that degree of pain intensity he was feeling. And that was one of the reasons why he came to a place like this: to learn some Buddhism, some meditation, some psychology to deal with that incredible intense pain which was there all the time. I know one thing - he got this incredibly good meditation as a result - because he had to. There was a great incentive for him to find a way of being at peace with the pain. And he managed to do it. Because I remember him coming up to me once with a big smile on his face and he said "I've finally done it Ajahn Brahm, I've finally done it!" I said "What have you done?" And I knew he had been meditating and I sort-of second-guessed it. Have you got the ECG to be flat, to be able to meditate under the hospital conditions, so your heart stops, gets very peaceful He said "Oh yeah I did that weeks ago" "Now I got the EEG to be flat." So he could get so still in meditation So peaceful that even the ECG and the EEG flat-lined. Totally peaceful and still. That's what he learned because of the extreme pain. He had to.. somehow be at peace with these things. And he found that was the way that he was free ...of the pain It just basically vanishes
- The night they stayed in bed during the BlitzStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: During the London Blitz a couple who had been up night after night with the bombs, and had lost so many people they knew, heard the air-raid siren and decided: 'No, that's it.…
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I remember one story of a couple who they'd been up for so many nights with the sound of these bombs going off and many people they knew, you know, being obliterated or being very seriously injured. Thousands of people every night for months and they decided the air raid siren went off and they said, "No, that's it. We're going to stay in our own bed tonight and we're going to have a sleep." So even though there's bombs going off off all over the place, they decided, "No, we're going to stay in bed." And they had a good sleep and they woke up in the morning and they were okay. Bang, bang, bang, boom. All night long. They were so tired. What the hell? We could have asleep. And they had a beautiful deep sleep. They felt so good afterwards. You know, doubly good cuz they were alive afterwards.
- The only ones running for shelterStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: A New Zealander, a late member of the society — reportedly the first New Zealander to escape from a prisoner-of-war camp in Europe — reached London in uniform. The first time he…
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one of our members who was here you know during that time most of these people are dead now you know he a New Zealander you know he escaped from a prison of war camp in Europe apparently the first New Zealander to actually escape he came back over to UK he was in London the first time he heard an air raid siren and you know he was in uniform he was a soldier and as soon as he heard the air raid Simon, he ran for an underground station when he realized that him and his soldier mate were the only two running into the station. and everyone were going around their business as normal. And he felt so embarrassed that the two soldiers were the only ones showing any fear and everyone else and people at the bus stop reading their newspaper, people just walking, chatting to each other, women were doing their shopping and he thought, "Wow, these people are not afraid." And they were so impressed with that attitude.
- The professor and the old sailor: “Have you learned to swim?”Story · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Sailing from Sydney to San Francisco, a professor quizzes an old sailor three nights running on marine science, astronomy and meteorology; the sailor knows none of them, and each…
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it's about the old seaman, the old sailor and the professor. Now in these Buddhist stories, the person with the simple job usually comes out superior, especially when professors are mentioned, which is one of the reasons professors always get a bad rap in Buddhism. That's why we don't get many professors coming here. But there was a professor and an old sailor. Now these were the days when people would go from country to country in boats before we had cheap aircraft to take you place to place. So this man, he was going from Sydney to San Francisco to give some lectures, this professor. And the first night on the boat from Sydney, he had his dinner in the galley or whatever, and after a beautiful dinner he went out on deck just to take the air the first night out on the sea as people do. And as he was walking out on deck he saw this elderly sailor, this old man just leaning over the railing looking at the sea underneath. And he decided to have a conversation with this old sailor because even though this was a simple job, this man must have been sailing the oceans for such a long time, surely he must have learned something useful. And the professor was always wanting to increase the store of his knowledge, thinking that that was the meaning of life So he went up to the sailor and said to him, he said, old man, how long have you been a sailor? He said, ever since I was a young boy about 13 or 14, there's many, many years I've been sailing these oceans, you know, it's amazing. He said, you know on that sea which we're sailing on, there's so much life in there. You know, as an old sailor, you must be an expert on marine science, about all the animals which depend upon the ocean underneath us, and all the currents and the reefs underneath. You know, let's have a conversation about marine science. And the old sailor said, about what? About marine science. What are you talking about,? said the old sailor, I don't know anything about marine science or the animals under the sea. What? said the professor. All those years at sea and you never bother to pick up a book and learn about the oceans underneath you? No, said the sailor. You stupid old man, said the professor, you've wasted your life, stupid old man. And he walked away in disgust of this old man, who'd wasted his life actually on the oceans, never learning about them. Next night at sea, he had a very, very beautiful meal, and he was in a good mood. So when the professor walked on deck the second time, there was the old sailor on watch and this time he was just looking at the stars. And that was actually one of the hobbies of the professor, astronomy. Said, ah, fair enough, the poor old man, he may not know about marine science, but he must know about astronomy, because in those days before GPS, that's actually how you could navigate by the stars. So he went up to the old man and said, look, I'm sorry what I said to you last night. You know, you may not know about marine science, but I bet you know about astronomy, and that's my hobby. Look at that beautiful Ursa Major out there. He said, Ursa what? You know, the stars above you, you must know a lot about astronomy, that's guided your ship. He said, I know nothing about that, the captain knows about it, not me. What, said the professor, all those years at sea, looking up at the heavens above you, and you've never ever bothered to learn about astronomy, you stupid old man, what a waste of a life You've wasted your life you stupid old man And the professor walked away in total disgust. Now the third night at sea, it always has three in Buddhism. Actually it has one more, but I'll come on to that later. The third night at sea, now the cook made an amazing dinner, it was just so delicious, straight away it put the professor in a good mood. And when he went up to deck, it was one of these balmy nights over the ocean, just a gentle, almost fragrant breeze was wafting over the ocean. And it was such a beautiful evening, the professor said, oh come on, I'll give this old sailor another chance, because the professor was a professor of meteorology. And he realized, sailors may not know about marine science, or just ordinary sailors may not know about the stars, but they must know about the weather. Because it's the weather, the power of the winds which drives these ships. And if there's a storm, that could sink the ship. So the weather is one of the most important things for the sailor to understand. So he went up to that sailor and asked him, he said, look I'm so sorry, I was in a bad mood the last two nights, and I misjudged you. Sure you may not know about marine science underneath you, or astronomy above you, but I'm sure you must know about meteorology. About the winds, the weather, which drives the ship, which could ruin the ship, or give it safety. Let's talk about meteorology. Meteor what? said the old sailor. About the winds and the storms. I know nothing about that, said the sailor I'm just a simple sailor man, that's all. What? What? You stupid old man, you dummy, you nincompoop, all those years, what a waste of a life, you just wasted your whole life, you stupid old man, said the professor, and walked away. And he decided he'd never ever talk to that fool again. Fourth night at sea, he never went to the galley for dinner, because it was one of those nights at sea which were rough. And he suffered from seasickness, putting anything in his stomach would just come out again afterwards. So he stayed in his cabin. And as the night grew later and later, the storm got worse and worse, and in the ship you can actually feel it, because the boat starts to rock and rock and rock, and you can feel the waves bashing against the hull of the ship on the other side of your cabin window. And it was a very rough night, and the storm got worse and worse, and it reached its peak about midnight when he heard this big crash ( shut up dogs, you don't need to get excited) had this big crash. And he was scared. And after the crash, there was a few moments of silence, and then he heard people rushing and running around outside his cabin door. And in panic, he opened the door, and who was running right outside? The old sailor. And the old sailor paused for a moment, and he looked at that professor and said, Professor, in all your years, have you ever learnt about swimming? (Laughter) Actually, no, said the professor, what a waste of a life, the ship's sinking
- The truckload of dungAnalogy · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: You come home to find a truckload of manure dumped in front of your door. You didn't order it and no one saw the truck, so you're stuck with it. You can carry it around in your…
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because that was relating to a particular story that if you do have shit happens to you in life, you can dig it in and you can make these beautiful things out of the most unpleasant aspects of your life, there's always something you can do. Now I use that as an extreme example to show that when these things happen to you or happen nationally, the law of kamma means stop thinking why this happened and do something about it. Dig it in, yeah, it's tough to do, but the alternative which is in that story "who ordered the truckload of dung", is people carry the shit around with them in their pockets. And you find if you carry dung and smelly shit in your pockets or your bags you lose a lot of friends, and you understand what I mean by this.. When people really get depressed, angry and upset about what happens to them in life, no one likes to be around you, that's not the way to deal with these problems
- Two cakes: karma as ingredientsAnalogy · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Simile (from Opening the Door of Your Heart): one person bakes a cake with mouldy old flour, cheap sugar and butter and an old kitchen; another has organic gluten-free flour,…
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the best simile I've got two people baking a cake the first person baking the cake has got the very worst ingredients they got white flour which is so old it's got green moldy bits in it I remember flower like that when I was a student we couldn't afford anything so you know we'd have to take the green bits out and use the other bits white moldy flower uh diabetically enhanced sugar cholesterol enhanced butter and whatever fruit you can get you know to put in there and just an old kitchen to actually to cook it in the very worst ingredients but the second person has got the very best ingredients organically grown whole wheat flour gluten free if sown in a field where there has to be no genetically modified crops for a thousand kilometers surrounding a free range wheat that is I don't know what I'm talking about I sometimes read this on the stuff which I see and I don't know what it means but anyway and canola oil which is people I'm not sure if it's just true or not it's supposed to be cholesterol free beautiful honey from Western Australia and fresh fruit from their back Garden and the very best of ingredients and the most modern kitchen to cook it in so those are the two people who bakes the best cake and this is actually where you understand what karma is who makes the best cake it's not always the person with the best ingredients it's not always that you go to Asia Penang where'd you get the best food in the restaurants in the streets yeah the Hawkers they can't afford the best ingredients or the best kitchen but that the competition is so cutthroat that they have to make the best to survive they have to put so much more effort energy love and skill into their cooking they have to otherwise they won't survive and that's why they're cooking is much more delicious now that is like you know what the law of karma it's not just the ingredients you have to work with the most important part of calm is what you're doing with those ingredients how you put them together