Stories about Singapore
4 Buddhist wisdom stories about Singapore from Buddhist teachers, each linked to the original talk.
- I'm 888 months oldStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Bored of turning 74, he counts age in months — 888 — an auspicious number in Singapore, and jokes about number plates.
Read full story
I count my age in months. It's much more impressive. And if you quickly work it out, what is 74 years in months? It's 888. Oo. Yeah. In a place like Singapore. 8 AAA. Wow. That's really apicious. It's the most auspicious number. If anybody can get a car with a number plate 88 AA, it cost a fortune. Is that true, Eddie? Yes, I'm 88 in a couple of months time
- I'm leaving — with five Singapore dollarsStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Singapore psychotherapist recognises his leaving-home story: at six she packed a suitcase, got five dollars, and her busy mother told her to get her own lunch.
Read full story
psychotherapist from Singapore who come to stay at my monastery for a while and she when I told her this story she was actually rolling about laughing being totally disrespectful but she could help herself because she saw that what the heck are you doing he said he won't believe this but I did the same when I was 6 years of age in Singapore I was really upset at my mummy and I said I'm leaving exactly the same thing happened the only difference was in Singapore the mother didn't have time to make a sandwich to go for five Singapore dollars
- The Buddha relics multipliedStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Doubting theoretical-physicist Brahm softens when he sees 'weird stuff': relics he left with Singapore disciples were two in a sealed container; months later Angie Monksfield…
Read full story
these relics can multiply when I first relics which I I had and I left them with the disciples in Singapore. They had two little relics in this enclosed container. And recently during the reigns retreat, I actually visited for two days Singapore what's called a sata the allowance from the Buddha to at the end of my month retreat to go there for two days. They were opening a new Buddhist center there on Lavender Street. 10 million bucks. They were raised for it. And when they were opening it, they wanted me to be the VIP there. So I went there. One of the first things which I did was make sure those relics I'd given them about 10 years ago, they had kept them. And the reason I wanted to make sure they were still keeping them and respecting them because when I gave them there was two relics in there. And then after about 3 months, the leader of the Buddhist fellowship at that time, Angie Monksfield, she wrote me this facts back and you won't believe this is now three. They multiply
- 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