Stories about silence
20 Buddhist wisdom stories about silence from Buddhist teachers, each linked to the original talk.
- He ran for the camera and missed the HimalayasStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: On a monsoon trip near Kathmandu he hitch-rides a post truck toward the Tibetan border, climbs a small hill, and for once the clouds part on the full Himalayan range. He races…
Read full story
we found out there was the post truck. The post truck would actually deliver letters from Kathmandu, the center, over to the the Tibetan border. And you know, you what is you know, it wasn't we supposed to do this, but the post driver to get a few extra uh rupees would allow a couple of um travelers to go in the back of the post bus, you know, and take them to the Tibetan border then come back again. So, it was a really nice little trip. And so, halfway up there, stopped for tea and then there was a little hill, not a big hill. Took about half an hour to get up. We climbed up or maybe 20 minutes. Climbed up the hill and as soon as you got to the top of the hill, the clouds parted. And you could see the the clear range of the Himalaya mountains from far left to the far right. It was an amazing sight. You know what I did? I ran down the hill to get my camera. I don't know why I did this. Totally stupid. And as you know, fast as I possibly could, I was much fitter and much thinner in those days. Ran down, got the camera out of my little bag, ran back up again and as soon as I got to the top of the the the hill, I could just see just the clouds came up and closed. Just maybe 10 seconds. And then there's a there's another uh couple of travelers there, Americans. They were just They were not smiling. They were just sitting down there just enjoying. And they said, "Where did you go?" And I missed everything and I never saw those Himalayas for the whole trip, 3 months. That was my one chance and I missed it because I wanted to capture it. And to me, there were some things in life you can never capture. And thank you, I learned my lesson there. It was worth it. Later on, you see the Himalayas. But this time, I missed them because I tried to capture them
- He sang The Sound of Silence for $10,000Story · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: A sponsor offered a $10,000 cheque for the nuns' monastery if Ajahn Brahm would sing. Monks don't sing — and he can't — so he chose Simon and Garfunkel's The Sound of Silence,…
Read full story
This will be for your nuns monastery if you sing a song." Now, we don't sing songs as monks. It's against our rules. But there's also a reason for that cuz our singing is terrible. But then I thought very quickly and I said, "Okay, I will sing a song for you if you let me choose a song and I'll just uh sing it just ac cappella. There's no band behind me." And many of you, I think, know this song. you're my age, you're getting on a bit. And so I said, the song I'm going to sing is from this famous US group called the Beach Boys. Was it Beach Boy? No, it wasn't Beach Boys. Sorry. It was Simon and Garuncle. The Sound of Silence. That's not a song. It is. It's called The Sound of Silence. and I just shut up and sat there and eventually she gave in and gave the $10,000 to the nuns honestly. That's the only ever song I've sung in in public
- I could only see the names of the starsStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: In the Cambridge Astronomical Society he learns the names of stars and constellations. In Thailand the night sky is so labelled in his mind that he cannot see its beauty — only…
Read full story
when I was at University there was many societies I joined and one was the Astronomical Society always love stuff like that and I had learned the names of the stars and the constellations that you know whether it was a Galaxy or supernova or I knew all those words and when I went to Thailand and I saw the sky at night I couldn't see the Stars anymore all I could see were the names and everyone else was saying how beautiful it was and I couldn't see the beauty all I could see was like little labels next to every Star and it took me years you know I had to do this deliberately to forget the names to an act of it was an act of will so now I can look at the stars at night I don't know which one is which and I can see how beautiful they are
- 'I thought you couldn't talk'Story · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: When he first came to Perth, Ajahn Brahm was the second monk; Ajahn Jagaro gave all the talks while he sat silently beside him for months. When Jagaro went to Thailand for a few…
Read full story
When I first came to Perth, I was number two monk, and that's just like these monks. They sit quietly, Their job is not to speak, the senior monk does all the talking, So Ajahn Jagaro would give all the talks and answer all the questions. I was just his attendant. Then after about nine months, he went to Thailand. so I was the head monk, so I had to speak. And as soon as I started speaking, this young girl, she was about 14, came up to me afterwards and said "That's amazing! You can speak! [audience laughing] I thought you were brain damaged
- Lao Tzu and the beautiful sunsetStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: A disciple walking with Lao Tzu breaks the rule of silence to exclaim at a sunset and is never taken walking again; the master explains that the moment he spoke, he was watching…
Read full story
That's why there's this old simile, it's an old meditation story of Lao Tzu. Every evening he would go on a walk and he'd choose one of his disciples, only one could go on a walk with the great master. There was a golden rule, if you went on a walk with the great Taoist master you have to be quiet, you weren't allowed to speak, not even one word. One day this young man was going on a walk with the master and they got to a ridge in mountains at sunset and it was one of these amazing gorgeous sunsets and the young man couldn't help himself but say, "Wow, what a beautiful sunset." He broke the rule. Lao Tzu turned around, went back to the monastery, would never allow that young man to go on a walk ever again. The young man's friend pleaded for him, said "Look, it was only one sentence, give him a break, cut him some slack what's the big deal anyway, of keeping silent?" And that's when the master said this very profound explanation. He said, "When that young man said 'what a beautiful sunset,' he wasn't watching the sunset anymore, he was only watching the words, he wasn't watching the sunset, he was only watching the words."
- Professor Blair and the zero-sum universeStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: At a UWA event with physicist David Blair he asks where the universe's mass-energy came from if it cannot be created. From silence he suggests total negative energy equals total…
Read full story
I was doing a presentation with with uh David Blair you know he's still the professor of physics at uwa still a good friend and I remember this little um interchange we had you know at an event there and when I said you know about where does the universe come from you know because there's a basic law of science I'm sure everybody knows this one that you cannot create mass energy you cannot destroy it energy Mass it just changes from one to the other but energy cannot be created nor destroyed I'm sure you've heard that so the question comes where did this energy called you know the universe come from where did the planets the dark energy everything where did it all come from because it cannot be created cannot be destroyed was a beginning of this universe a just a time when the laws of physics just didn't hold or is the laws of physics which is basically logic reason was it always there so in that uh little part of the discussion just you know just thinking from Silence I said well look I know from the physics which I remember there is a physical quantity called negative energy now to explain that to you that is like if you remember your high school physics science what they called potential energy that if something is in a gravitational field this clock to take this free from the Earth's gravitational field it takes up a lot of energy that's why they have to have these huge Rockets basically putting an explosion you know up the astronauts bump I think that was uh who said that one of the great astronauts he said that's like going off into outer space you know fortunately got lots of metal between you and the explosion but that's basically what it is a big bomb under your ass T to propel you up into space and please excuse me for using the language which you use so anyway that's what it's like that's the energy you need just to free this from a gravitational field so being in a gravitational field is a form of negative energy that's one and there's many others so just thinking outside the box you know because you know how to be silent so what would it be like Professor Blair if the total amount the sum total of negative energy negative mass energy in this universe equaled the amount of positive mass energy in this universe that's a a valid concept so if all the the planet solar systems everything and the energy Fields all came together they totally balance so mass energy vanishes you cannot create mass energy we don't need to because the sum total is zero so go back that's where it came from if you add everything together it's zero sum universe is a zero sum game and when I said that he looked at me and I still remember the expression on his face actually bro I never realized you are so up toate Omega equals 1 I don't know what omega mean but it was a ratio to negative and positive energy said wow where did you get that from Easy from silence and that's in the world the wisdom born of Silence
- Rumpelstiltskin — power in a nameAnalogy · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: He recalls the Grimm tale: know the demon's name and you have power over him. In the same way, putting names on silence, on people, on God, feels like control — and that is why…
Read full story
Rumpelstiltskin. You don't know that name? Okay. Oh, good. Glad you remember that cuz cuz apparently there was this, I don't know, magician or demon or spirit or something, I forget what it was really called, but there was this poor lady who was um was a a weaver and he said that you can weave gold out of straw. But if you don't find out my name, you'll have to marry me tomorrow or something. And so she had to she had to find out his name. Eventually she found out Rumpelstiltskin. And so, you know, he had to sort of let her go. But in I always remember many, many times if you knew somebody's name, you had power over them. This was like in ancient almost like magic of of Middle Age Europe. You had power if you knew someone's name
- Six cooks talking, no one listeningStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Passing the Serpentine monastery kitchen one morning, Ajahn Brahm notices six Thai ladies preparing the meal — all six with their mouths open, talking. If all six were talking,…
Read full story
One of the stories I often mention in my meditation retreats is a story of our monastery down Serpentine one day passing by the kitchen when people were making the meal for the morning there was I think six Thai Ladies there was only Thai Ladies this day it's the same when Sri Lankan women or men or anybody else is serving the food or making the food for us that particular day had to be six women in our kitchen and I noticed all six women had their mouths open talking There were only six in the kitchen if the six people were talking, I wondered who was left to do the listening And the answer was no one was doing the listening because everyone was busy doing the talking
- Six months of silenceStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Ajahn Brahm spends six months in a little hut in total silence, seeing no one: a monk leaves food in a box, he eats and returns the clean bowl. He wonders whether he's just being…
Read full story
I did a six-month retreat, pure silence, never saw a human being for six months, never said a word. And I first of all thought, am I just being lazy? I'm not teaching. I'm not helping. I'm not doing anything for anybody for 6 months. Just staying in little hut. A mug would bring food and put it in the box. I wouldn't see them. And I go to that box, open it, see if there was any food in the bowl, which there was. After eating, clean my bowl, put it back again. And that's how it worked for 6 months. And I I must admit I did feel a little guilty towards the end. Maybe I should come out early and do something. But no, I stayed for 6 months. Then afterwards so many people said thank you. That was really inspiring that people could see it can be done by example.
- The empty drum and the babbling brookAnalogy · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: An empty drum makes a big noise when you bang it; a solid piece of wood doesn't. Small mountain streams babble, while the big rivers flow silently. Are you a babbling brook, or a…
Read full story
it's the empty things which make all the noise which is true you get like a drum it's empty inside you bang it and makes this big noise if you had like a solid piece of wood it doesn't make so much noise and actually that's why the Buddha said this it's the empty things talk too much and it's see it's the small rivers the small streams like in the mountains they're the ones who make all the noise the Babbling Brooks the big rivers flow silently so you are you a babbling brook or are you a great river flowing majestically and silently through your life
- The frozen forest and the sacred silenceStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: On his first visit home after seven years in Thailand, Ajahn Brahm stays at a new, unheated monastery in Sussex in a winter so cold the papers report 'even the beer froze'.…
Read full story
I still remember one of the amazing times of my life one of the mornings which I will never forget when I was staying in England The ..Veriliam.. Monastery, one of the first monasteries which our tradition built in England, in Sussex That was a winter time about now I have gone to visit my family I think it was the first time after seven years that I went after living in Thailand that I went to visit my family for Christmas and this monastery has just been established and it was one of the coldest winters in England at that time in a typical British news-sheet it showed me the headlines -26 degrees centigrade even the beer froze But that following morning even though it was just so cold I went out for a walk in the forest early not many people were up let alone outside of the houses in such cold weather I remember that walk in that forest even now because as I walked in the fresh snow fall you look down in the freshly fallen snow and there were no prints of any animals, let alone human beings the snow has fell the night before and I was like the first person on earth to walk in that forest and as I walked nothing moved there was no wind or even breeze not even the leaves fluttered when I stopped, the whole world stopped moving all the animals were hibernating nothing stirred It was so silent and of course my own mind went silent when you are faced with such profound and deep and powerful peace your mind can't resist resonating with that peace as if the peace gets right inside of you just like the cold can do But this was not unpleasant you became one with that peace. It became one of those magic experiences of my life just walking and then stopping and enjoying the power of silence.
- The newspaper hiding the most beautiful viewStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Walking a remote coast road in north-west Scotland on a perfect summer day — moors and mountains, cliffs, glistening green islands, reeling sea birds — the student Ajahn Brahm…
Read full story
As a student, again I was a Buddhist and I gravitated during the vacation periods to quiet places of the world. mostly to the Scotland to the North of Scotland to the moors where you could just wonder around without seeing anybody for a few days. On this one occasion I was on the Northwest coast of Scotland It was one of these beautiful summer days very often it is cold, wet and rainy but every so often in the summer time you get this perfect days and in the Northwest coast of Scotland in the summer time is paradise. you couldn't really conjure up a more beautiful scenery just so quiet, remote and unspoiled. just walking along the coast road with moors and mountains to one side beautiful cliffs, little islands dotted in the ocean as far as you could see bright green and glistening in the sun shine and all the sea birds were just reeling what I call euphoria at the time and seeing all this beautiful scenery and having all the time in the world to enjoy it because I had no place to really go plenty of time to walk just to my destination no mobile phones, no duties just walking, enjoying every moment of a beautiful part of our world. And of course I was totally silent. Until I saw a car parked up ahead of me on the road side. There was a car park there and I assumed, because I was stupid I assumed that someone who have been driving along that road and had also noticed the incredible beauty of this day in the summer time in this place and also just stopped to enjoy the scenery but when I got close I found the person wasn't looking at the scenery was reading a newspaper. This big newspaper was right in front covering up the beautiful seascape, mountains, grass, sunshine and all he could see was the news I thought what a wonderful metaphor that is of life Because what we read with our minds is all the words and the descriptions what do they have in newspapers? I know they have the cartoons that's what I always read first when I get a newspaper I really recommend the cartoons first of all. They also have; they have the wars, they have the fraud of this government or that government. they have terrorist attacks; they have all those other nasty news about life And that's what you see in the newspaper and I thought 'what a shame this is ' just on the other side of that newscript it only may be one or two millimeters you had the beauty of the world on such a gorgeous day! And at the time being quite a cheeky person; I haven't stopped being cheeky I thought of getting a pair of scissors out of my backpack I only need to cut a small hole in this newspaper so you can see what's on the other side I was very thin in those days I was an underfed poor student and this guy was a big heavy Scotsman I didn't fancy my chances if he got aggressive with me. so I just passed him by to read his newspaper, while I enjoyed the day
- The noisy airport prayer roomStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Delighted to find a meditation and prayer room at Perth Airport, Ajahn Brahm sits down to meditate — and the room is filled with security warnings, passenger pages and boarding…
Read full story
I once went into one of the chapels and meditation rooms in the airport to try and get a bit of peace and quietness to do some meditation. Of course after only about 30 seconds "please do not leave your bags unattended paging Mr. so and so, your flight is about to board' and all these other announcements which were going on in the quiet room as there's noises anywhere else.
- The silence of Westminster AbbeyStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: As a young man in London, whenever Ajahn Brahm was confused he would go into the great cathedrals — the last time Westminster Abbey — to sit in the vast quiet away from the…
Read full story
again I remember this story that I used to know whenever I was confused you I used to go to these great churches they had these beautiful cathedrals in London when I was young and I remember the last time I ever went into a cathedral in this was in England in London was actually Westminster Abbey this huge cavernous uh place where I could just go and just sit down and be quiet outside was all the noise of the traffic in London you go inside it was just absolutely s you can sit down relax and find answers to any problems you didn't need to be told you just need to be relaxed and be still and the last time I went in there I was very very upset I must admit because I went in there there was a refuge of silence and peace you know my little pyramid in London where I can get above everything the jungle of people and traffic and noise but then when I went in there they had just a week or two before installed a PA system throughout the whole complex having all these announcements and sermons and stuff and so what the silence had disappeared and I thought that was sacr because the best the most sacred part of that old ancient building was the silence and it was not there anymore and to this day I thought that that was one of the great reasons why they had those immense Cathedrals because they were celebrating and worshiping silence
- Three thousand Singapore executives heard the gapsStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: In a Singapore hall of about 3,000 busy executives who said they could not meditate, he asked them to notice the gaps between his words — and in those spaces nothing was…
Read full story
First time I did this was in Singapore in a big hall about 3,000 people and people said, "Oh, we can't meditate. We got too busy minds. Always these are executives, business people. I mean, it's very tough in Singapore to get by and to make a dollar and to keep the dollar and whatever else they're trying to find and keep. So, we can't meditate. It's waste of time. Oo. Oh, [laughter] there's another thing which there's always noise around or is there? Can you hear the space between the noises? That's amazing. After a while, you find that so delightful. And that's actually in this little exercise I did for these Singaporeans, 3,000 of them. Simple. Just ask them to please be aware when I'm speaking. You always, you know, listen to what I say, but also there's a reaction to what I say. Sometimes I say something stupid. Oh yeah, I've heard that one before. Oh yeah, that's not very smart. Oh, I don't agree with that. You have a reaction in your mind. But now, what is the reaction in your mind as I'm speaking now? Because you'll start to notice many gaps between my words. In those spaces, what was happening inside? Nothing was happening. And it felt so peaceful. It felt profound. And that was the first time many of those 3,000 they were business people. First time they experienced some silence, stillness, peace. There it was again. So simple, isn't it? Now see if you can remain still for half an hour. If you notice it beauty and his joy, his good qualities is so easy to stay there. You don't need to give it a name. You don't need to try and capture it. Peace is very shy. If you mention her name, she runs away
- 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…
Read full story
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.
- Total listening — the counsellor threw away her learningStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Wealthy client exhausted usual therapies; counsellor at a Buddhist conference describes going totally quiet, discarding training static, listening — then words come unbidden when…
Read full story
counseling from this woman this woman said in her presentation that she knew the background she knew that know all the usual ways of dealing with this problem wouldn't work because they had already been tried so she decided to do this total listening when the woman came in the room this is her client the counselor just went very peaceful very quiet no thoughts throw away all of the learning which you've had before cuz that just creates more a static between the ears and she listened to this person for a few minutes as she described what was happening to her and then when it was a turn for the counsel to speak she said the words came out of her mouth
- Twenty minutes to cry in a Bangkok templeStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: A Western visitor interested in Buddhism sees a young woman crying her eyes out on a bench in a busy Bangkok temple. Unsure of the culture, he leaves her be; twenty minutes…
Read full story
I remember a man came and told to me once he was visiting Bangkok he was very interested in Buddhism It's very hard to find someone who could teach him what Buddhism really meant. But he found some of his answers in an experience when he went to visit a Buddhist temple in the city and those of you who have been to Bangkok, you know how busy and noisy it can be. He was visiting a temple he noticed a girl siting on one of the benches in the temple crying her eyes out. she was distraught about something but not really knowing the culture of Thailand, he thought I don't think I should intervene, but he felt like he was concerned about this woman who was obviously suffering quite intensely. So went off to visit the temple inside and when he came out, may be 20 minutes afterwards he noticed this woman has stopped crying was about to get up and leave. He couldn't help himself but just go and ask her Is there anything wrong? Is there anything I can do? and she could speak English And she replied 'no I am fine now' What happened was 'I had lost the keys to my car' and I came into the temple. All I needed was a quiet place just to cry for 20 minutes and now I am fine. Thank you very much
- Wow, this is good, ain't it, Brahm?Story · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: The coarse Australian who single-handedly built Bodhinyana's concrete water tanks asks 'Brahm' if he can look inside the 'church'. Boots on, he only puts his head through the…
Read full story
Would you mind if I have a look inside your church?" He said. You know, it don't you know, it doesn't really know it's not a church, but you know, who cares? And so I said, "Yeah, come along." So talking talking talking. Said, "I don't have to take me boots off?" Have you seen like workers boots? It would take half an hour to take those boots off. So no, no, come on. And so we went into the um the entryway and I opened the door. He he wouldn't go on the carpet with his big boots. He just put his head through to have a look. And I always remember that moment. It was it was about a couple of minutes. He was totally silent. Stopped speaking. And I just I was not going to not going to interrupt this cuz you could feel that this was really important for him. And he just went put his head inside there for 2 minutes and he came out afterwards. Just his head. He looked at me with a big no no many tooth missing smile. And he said, "Wow, this is good, ain't it, Brahm?
- You can talk — I thought you were brain damagedStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: After Ajahn Chah left Perth, silent number-two monk Brahm gave his first Friday talk at Magnolia Street. A girl of about seven or eight who still comes to the centre ran up: that…
Read full story
after a few months, Ajahn Chah uh had to go off to Thailand. And so, I was uh I had to look after the Friday night and Saturday afternoon and Sunday program at the temple, the previous one to this. And I started giving a talk. And I do recall this young lady uh I see her here every now and again. She still keeps coming along. She will confirm this anecdote. As soon as I had finished my talk, she came up to me and said, "That was amazing. That was astounding. You can talk. I thought you were brain damaged." He said. She was about 7 or 8 years of age at the time