Stories about teenagers
4 Buddhist wisdom stories about teenagers from Buddhist teachers, each linked to the original talk.
- 'Ajahn Brahm said what's done is finished'Story · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: One of the first times he told the 'what's done is finished' story, parents complained the next Sunday that they wouldn't bring their son any more. Their 16-year-old had agreed…
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not like one of the first times I told that story and just after telling that story on a Sunday a couple of parents came to complain to me so we're not going to bring our son to listen to you anymore so what did I do wrong so that story what's wrong with it I'll tell you what's wrong with it on Saturday night our 16 year old son said he was going off to a party and we told him do you remember your agreement son you say you finish your homework and only then go to the party have you finished your homework that's what they said Dad Mom just says that John Brown said what's done is finished here tomorrow got big trouble for that
- “Can you tell my parents for me?”Story · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: A girl who has come to the Perth temple since she was a toddler comes to Ajahn Brahm at 16 or 17: she's pregnant by her boyfriend and hasn't told her parents — “they'll kill me.”…
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she'd been coming to the temple since she was 1 or 2 years of age playing making a racket and a noise as kids do that's why you know please bring your kids to the temples let them get familiar with the monks sometimes playing with them but means when she got to 16 or 17 she came to see me said hmm I'm in trouble there was a trouble I'm pregnant with my boyfriend and I said have you told your mum and dad yet said no that's why I've come to you can you please tell them for me so why don't you tell them they'll kill me and she was scared of her parents she thought she'd be punished so she wanted me to be the intermediary so I went to the parents look kids make mistakes she's a good girl but she's got herself into trouble don't know why could be peer pressure you know she lost her her mind for us because if she liked her boyfriend one thing led to another and then now she's pregnant she doesn't need to be afraid of you she needs your help and support children make mistakes
- Let them go to the nightclub with your permissionStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: A widowed close disciple worried about her kids wanting nightclubs with drugs and alcohol. He said they will go anyway — better with your permission; trust them. She did; they…
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there was a lady here she lost her husband he's very very close disciple her kids she came up to me once and said they want to go to nightclub and said nightclub you know there's drugs in nightclub alcohol I said look you know your kids are going to go to the nightclub anyway so you might as well let them go and then they go with your permission rather than going against your permission and anyway they're good kids trust them for goodness sake and of course she did trust those kids she followed my advice and the kids had a wonderful life they're doing really really well in life nowadays they didn't go do anything wrong
- Tell his girlfriend he might marry a dummyStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: A Perth father whose university son was clubbing and failing waited up until 1 a.m., invited son and girlfriend in for coffee, and spoke only to the girlfriend: his grades are…
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he waited for his son and his girlfriend to come back maybe 1:00 in the in the morning he was waiting for them and when the car came in he went outside the house to greet them and of course the son was terrified what's my dad doing at this time of the morning morning is he going to tell me off in front of my girlfriend and embarrass me and he said no he said no can you please come in both of you and he brought them in and gave them a cup of coffee and he didn't talk to his son he was just talking to his son's girlfriend and he said look you know you've been going out for a while I don't know what the relationship is but you know who knows you know you may take it further one day you know get engaged and get married and because of that I just wanted to let you know talking to the girlfriend you know his grades at University going down is doing really badly what she said he never told me that he said well I thought I should tell you because I'm sure you don't want to marry a dummy no and when the girlfriend found out what was going on from that time on the girlfriend you better come home how are your grades are you doing your homework and the girlfriend had far more power over him than a mother and dad would ever have so his grades went up eventually you know he graduated and got a really really good degree and they got married ah isn't that nice