Stories about Sri Lanka
4 Buddhist wisdom stories about Sri Lanka from Buddhist teachers, each linked to the original talk.
- Do you know Ajahn Brahm? — asked on Adam's PeakStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: WA politician Mike Nahan told a BSWA gathering that climbing Adam's Peak (Sri Pada) in Sri Lanka, his guide asked who he was; when he said a WA minister, the guide asked: do you…
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the head of the conservative party here in west australia mike nahan some years ago you know he came i think was the head of multicultural affairs when the the tory government was in power here in western australia and so he came along to one of his buddhist um events and he went on to the microphone and he said i just returned from sri lanka i'm part of going to sri lanka this was many years ago was climbing up adam's peak a sui pada and he said the guide there was talking to him and said who are you and he was a minister in the the state government what state government west australia oh do you know our john brown he said right now what they realized that was quite well known over there
- Mahinda's mango-tree riddleStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: He says the first monk in Sri Lanka (Mahinda) tested the king with a riddle about a mango tree and other mangoes — answered correctly, so Buddhism stayed; Brahm jokes Australia…
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What's this tree called?" It was like a mango tree. Are there any other mango trees in Sri Lanka? Yes, said the king. Are there any trees other than those mangoes and the other trees? Yes, sir. The tree in front of me. Ah, smart person. Correct. So, that's why Buddhism started in Sri Lanka because of riddles
- Rajapaksa served baked beans and said 'I'm a failure'Story · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Invited to breakfast at the Sri Lankan presidential palace, Brahm is served baked beans by President Rajapaksa himself. Rubbing sleep from his eyes, the president says honestly —…
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the president of Sri Lanka at the time that was Raja Paka. So he invited me to his palace for breakfast and number one I was impressed that whoever these governments are they really know how to do their research. What do you get a monk for breakfast in Sri Lanka? Correct. You've heard the story. I don't know where he got the baked beans from. It wasn't a national dish in Sri Lanka and he served me himself with baked beans. But the one thing which I really know remember was when he came in he's you know he was just obviously just came out of bed because you know he just has to stay up late at night. He was rubbing in his eyes and as soon as he saw me it was like a moment of honesty. He knew I wasn't a politician. And he told me, he said, "Ajan Brah, I'm a failure
- The silent German monk who finally gave a talkStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: In Sri Lanka with Bhikkhu Bodhi: a German monk who never gives talks is visited; an hour later Brahm emerges calling it the best Dhamma talk he had ever heard — better than Ajahn…
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this monk would He was another German monk. He would never give a talk to anybody. And Bhikkhu Bodhi said, "Just go in there and pay respects." It took an hour before I came out. [laughter] And he sat me down and gave me a nice Dhamma talk. And at that time, I said that was the best Dhamma talk I'd ever heard. Even beat Ajahn Chah's teachings