Stories about self-image
8 Buddhist wisdom stories about self-image from Buddhist teachers, each linked to the original talk.
- Green velvet jeans at the Isle of WightStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Going to the 1970 Isle of Wight rock festival, young Ajahn Brahm wears green velvet jeans to be rebellious and individual — and finds thousands of others in green velvet jeans:…
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remember going to the the Isle of Wight rock festival 1970 So the famous rock festival and I had to be cool, so I had green velvet jeans When I went down there I found I thought I was being rebellious, I thought I was being individual I thought I was just just rebelling against convention setting a new style And when I went down there I found thousands of other people had green velvet jeans It is another type of uniform
- Mistaken for a circus clownStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Walking with his cousin through Stoke-on-Trent one Sunday morning, robed Ajahn Brahm notices people pointing and laughing more than usual — then turns a corner to a big…
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the other time when I was visiting a cousin Know that cousin eight. He came here to visit many years ago in stoke-on-trent. That's where he lived and so During their spending time with your loved ones with your friends, so instead of staying in here We meditate we went for a walk walk on a Sunday morning as a beautiful day walking down the streets And I don't know what it is about me must have some sort of charisma, but people were supporting at me and smiling and laughing And I just making people laugh as a great as a great skill But it was actually more people pointing and laughing at me than usual And so I didn't really want to know what was going on well You know one badly dressed or something or but no They were just laughing at me all the time and then when we turned a corner I found out why there's this big billboard a big sight the circus was in town And they thought I must have been one of the clowns And I did what make people happy is fine by me
- “My nose is too big”Story · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: In his first year in Perth a 13-year-old girl, brought by her father after every other psychologist and psychiatrist had failed, finally admits her problem: her nose is too big.…
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I still remember this when I first came to Perth the very first year this thirteen year old girl came to see me. Her father organised a meeting, she wanted counselling, she'd been to all the other psychologists, psychiatrists or whatever in Perth and this was the last resort to go and see a Buddhist monk. They must have been desperate in those days to come see a Buddhist monk. Because we didn't have much of a reputation and I asked her what's your problem and she took a long time to get it out of her cause you know when people really feel they have a big problem and they just don't want to share it with you especially a thirteen or fourteen year old young girl. And eventually I got it out of her. She said, looking down at the floor feeling so embarrassed, she said 'my nose is too big'. Now you know, you girls you know that, you know where she's coming from, that to her every time she looked in the mirror she saw her nose and it was too big. I tried to use like a scientific approach to her problem, you know I mentally I measured her nose and I've seen many noses in my life and I measured it in my mind and I told her, lady that your nose is pretty average. It's not the most beautiful nose, it's certainly not the most ugly nose, its just a nose, it's average ok. But she wouldn't accept that for her it was the biggest problem because it was right in front of her face. I didn't, I didn't actually help her, but she helped me to understand the negativity of fault finding.
- Nasrudin at the archery stall: “That was me”Story · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Mulla Nasrudin takes his students to a fair and tries the archery stall. The first arrow falls short — “the shot of a hasty man”; the second goes wide — “the shot of an arrogant…
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And there's one of these Sufi stories, Nasrudin stories, when - this was like a Mulla in Persia, before it was called Iran, many, many years ago. A great Sufi story. Now, in those days, any people of religion were very highly respected. You know, not so much these days. But they were like pillars of society. Now, this pillar of society, this great Mullah who was so respected in the community, decided to take his students to the fair for an outing. They had been meditating and studying and practicing so hard, "Let's give them a day out". So he took them to the fair. And at that fair there were many stalls. And one of the stalls was an archery stall. Just like the old coconut shys, but with bows and arrows. And if you managed to hit the target, the ball, you would get a prize. And so this Mulla Nasrudin said, "Yes, this looks easy enough. Give me a bow and three arrows!" And so he paid over, you know, a few dollars. And all his students were really surprised, because he was like a holy man. What does a holy man know about weapons like a bow and arrow? He said, "Oh, it's just concentration. Just mindfulness. That's all it is." "You know, I can do this!" So he put the first arrow in the bow. And everyone was really quite surprised. It's like if you give me a bow and arrow. I've never shot a bow and arrow in my life. You know, could the power of Samadhi, if Ajahn Brahm had a bow and arrow, how accurate would he be? And that's what they were thinking with this Mulla. And so he pulled the - put the bow - put the arrow in the bow - see, even I don't know which one goes in which - put the arrow in the bow and shot it, and it only went about halfway to the target. It didn't even, you know - not even miss it, it just didn't get there to miss it. And everybody started to giggle, because the guy was making a fool of himself. And people love it when people in authority make a fool of themselves. And then he just turned around and said, "That, that was a shot of a hasty man". And then he put his second arrow in the bow. And this time, he took more time. And he pulled that arrow further back as the wood of the bow stretched. And he shot the next arrow and it certainly made the distance, but went about, you know, a $2 train ride to the left. It missed it a long way. And people really started to guffaw. And he just turned around and said, "That, that was a shot of an arrogant man". And then he put his last and third arrow in the bow. Took his time, aimed and shot that. And that one went right in the middle of the bullseye. But as he claimed his prize, the relieved students said, "Well, if the first shot was the shot of a hasty man and the second was a shot of an arrogant man, what was the third shot?" And he said, "That was my shot. That was me.
- The punk and the old manJoke · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: On a New York train a punk with multi-coloured spikes, razor-blade earrings and piercings snaps at the old man opposite: 'What are you looking at, old man?' 'Just you. Didn't you…
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And I remember this story about, I think it was somewhere in New York. There was this old man sitting opposite one of these punks, just spiky hair, about 20 different colours, and razor blades coming from his ears. His clothes were just really multi-coloured, you really need a pair of sunglasses to look at him. And there were just piercings all over his face. And then there's a guy opposite him, you can't help, he's right in front, you have to look at him. And so the punk shouted out, 'what are you looking at old man?' And he said, oh, just you, Didn't you ever do anything a bit outrageous when you were young? Oh yes, I did. When I was in the Navy, I had sex with a parrot, I thought you might be my son.
- Two monks tell each other who they areStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: After a three-month rains retreat together, Ajahn Brahm and another Western monk sit down and tell each other what they think of each other. The description he hears of himself…
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I did a lovely experiment after when I was a monk I was spending three months in the range retreat with another Western Monk and at the end of The Retreat we sat down and we told each other what we thought of each other now honestly two monks and I was listening to his opinion of who he thought I was and it was totally different to anything I ever expected to see myself I heard myself described in another person's eyes that was not what I thought of myself and I did the same to him and he was gobsmacked too
- Under a gynaecologist, and no pyjamasStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: On his last hospital stay, at Rockingham, Ajahn Brahm is admitted under a family-friend doctor who is a gynaecologist — his bed sign confuses the nurses. Told at reception he…
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That was about 26 years ago now. Yeah 26 years ago was the last time I went to hospital. It was in Rockingham Hospital. It's very interesting because the fellow who looked after me it's actually the secretary Gita's father. And he's a gynecologist. But because he knew me sort of he said oh let's… I'll take you in and I'll look after you. So, on the bed there was: Ajahn Brahm's doctor: dr Mendez, gynecologist. I do look weird enough wearing these robes. But being under a gynecologist, that was really cool. And all the nurses, “what, what are you?” good fun. But especially when you check in you know, you've got to check in first of all. The first question they asked me at the reception: “where's your pyjamas?” “monks don't have pajamas.” “but you've got to have pyjamas.” “but I don't have any!” “but you have to.” I said “listen. It's these robes or nothing. Take your choice.” and actually they let me wear my robes.
- “You're dressed like a girl. That's sick.”Story · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: While loading the overloaded Kombi van in North Perth in his first years in Australia, a 14-year-old visiting her grandmother next door eyes the robed, bald monk with teenage…
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This little 14 year old girl came out roughly about 14 She was visiting her grandma in the house next door and she came up and looked at me with All the disgust only a teenage girl can actually give She had her hands on her hips and look me up and down I Can't do disgust, but you know really yeah, and he said looked at me and said you're dressed like a girl That's sick She was really trying to upset me because I can see her point you know you're wearing a skirt And a bald head, but girls don't wear board heads. I'm uh sort of beanie on or something, but anyway She was really disgusted authoress was so funny