Stories about self-acceptance
6 Buddhist wisdom stories about self-acceptance from Buddhist teachers, each linked to the original talk.
- God didn't recognise himJoke · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: A man who can't find a partner is told by a psychologist to get a sharp suit, a proper haircut, his teeth straightened and a personality coach. At huge cost he does it all. On…
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This fellow, he could never find a partner, and he went to a psychologist, and a psychologist gave it to him straight and said, “Look at you, you know, number one, "you dress so out of fashion, you are so daggy, the way you dress.” So he said, “If you want to find a partner go to a tailor and get a really sharp suit “or something which is more fashionable. “Look at your hair, your hair is just all over the place, “and it's dirty and greasy too. Get a proper haircut.” "Now, look, teeth, the teeth are all crooked and stinky, “go to a good dentist, and just get your teeth “all straightened up and have some personal hygiene,” “and also, why not see if you could get a personality coach? “You know, to get yourself more charming.” He said, “That costs a huge amount of money,” "But it'd be worth it.” So he decided to follow the therapist’s advice, you know, it took a lot of money getting his teeth all fixed up and straightened, the personality coach to make him more positive and attractive, and, you know, a nice really expensive, you know, haircut, and really fancy clothes, and getting just really all prepared, he went out for the first time, and as he was going into a singles club to meet the love of his life he hoped, he was hit by a truck and killed. (laughter) When he went to heaven he was really upset, he said, “God why did you do that for? “You didn’t even give me a day after all that money and all that pain and stuff “getting myself all attractive.” And God said, “Well I didn't recognise you.”
- “It was only two murders”Story · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: A prisoner near the end of his sentence reads about the two bad bricks and goes around saying of himself, “It was only two murders.” Ajahn Brahm respects him: he's honest, and…
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i really respect this man he was one of the prisoners coming towards the end of his sentence over incarnate and i don't go to carnot anymore but many other monks do one of our monks will be there this evening to eat in the meditation group incarnate but this guy has been going around saying because he read my book and he heard about the two bad bricks and he goes around saying it was only two murders and good on him i don't know why you laughed there but good on him what else has he done in his life a lot of good things there's only two murders he's being honest
- Joke: tickets for the policemen's ballJoke · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: A New South Wales policeman pulls over a speeding woman driver. She asks if he's stopped her to sell her a ticket for the policemen's ball. 'Policemen don't have balls,' he…
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A uh policeman in New South Wales saw a car speeding. So pulled it the car over. It was a woman driver. And so as soon as the woman driver opened up her window, she said to the policeman, "I suppose you stopped me to actually to uh get me to buy a ticket for the policeman's ball. And the policeman replied, "Peaceman don't have balls." And then realized what he was saying and said, "Have a good afternoon, madam."
- Six months alone and never lonelyStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Ajahn Brahm's record is six months alone, not speaking to or seeing anyone; food was left in a box, and he left his bowl back there to be filled the next day. Asked whether he…
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my record was 6 months by myself not speaking or seeing anybody and it was an amazing experience because throughout that whole 6 months never seeing anybody Not a Human Being no they just leave food in a box and I know when they were coming there and afterwards I go and pick it up I put my ball back there afterwards so they fill it up the next day never spoke to anybody for six months said didn't you feel lonely and the answer was I never felt lonely and I asked myself why I didn't feel lonely and the answer was because there was always someone there me and I quite like myself so because I quite like myself where throughout those whole six months I was with my best friend how can you feel lonely when you're with your best friend all day the reason was I was my best friend
- “This must be your dad”Joke · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: At a wedding blessing Ajahn Brahm assumes the older man beside the young man is his father — and is corrected, to the older man's displeasure.
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Last Sunday I was doing a marriage service for one of the people who comes here regularly, and she's married to a nice young boy. You always have to get married to a boy, I suppose, if you're a girl. [laughter] Ajahn: I don't know why I said that, but anyway she was getting married... [laughter] Ajahn: ...and after the service, doing the blessing service, and I said to him... That's right, this elderly man came to stand next to him, and I said, "Oh, is that your father?" And the old man said, "No, I'm the best man." [laughter] Ajahn: He was not very happy at me.
- 'You're not getting old, Ajahn — you're already old'Story · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Ajahn Brahm told his monks he was getting old. A very kind Swiss monk said, with touching sincerity — monks don't lie — 'No, Ajahn, you're not getting old.' Pause. 'You're…
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my monks, a very kind monks, this is one of my monks, a very wonderful monk from uh Switzerland. And you know when he knows his story that I told the monks, I'm getting old and they said, "No, Ajam, you're not getting old." And that's really touching just the way they said it with the sincerity because monks don't lie. said, "No, you're not getting old." Ah, you're already old. Which is true.