Mindfulness and Productivity

0:00 It's nice to come back to a small audience, because where I just came from in Ho Chi Minh City, I just came back from there yesterday morning. Report an error in the passage at 0:00 Highlight the passage at 0:00

0:19 And there were so many people over there, people asking me how you could do this, to give a meditation retreat for 1300 people. Report an error in the passage at 0:19 Highlight the passage at 0:19

0:39 1,300 people. A lot of people to teach, but it's amazing how quiet they can be in a big hall with 1,300 people not talking. Report an error in the passage at 0:39 Highlight the passage at 0:39

0:57 And I asked them, of the retreat, what did you like the best? And they said, the idea of relaxing to the max, how to be kind. Report an error in the passage at 0:57 Highlight the passage at 0:57

1:16 and gentle, or I gave the name of kindfulness to. And one of the organizations, they were like a company in Ho Chi Minh, inviting me to give a talk to some of the staff who were interested. And I told them they had a room in the headquarters over in Ho Chi Minh City. And in that room that's where I taught some meditation and answered questions. Report an error in the passage at 1:16 Highlight the passage at 1:16

2:00 One of the things I mentioned there was simple things like productivity. If you're running a company you have to pay salaries. The people working there have to get paid at the end of the week. They don't want the company to go bust. So how can we include the good Buddhist practice into these companies? Report an error in the passage at 2:00 Highlight the passage at 2:00

2:33 One of the things I suggested there was the big room which they gave a name to, like the kindfulness room. And it's a beautiful word, kindfulness. Why do we always have to be locked into old words which sometimes limit sort of our sense of freedom and hope and beauty. Indeed, that was another of those words which I invented. Ever since somebody told me when I went to the United States that these big signs someone had sponsored saying, don't worry, be happy. Report an error in the passage at 2:33 Highlight the passage at 2:33

3:19 And I said, no, that's not good enough. So I changed that. And it did actually take off for a while. Don't worry. Be hopey instead of happy. Because that hopiness means that things can be done. Improvements can be made. Just all one fears is going to go wrong. A lot of times it does not go wrong. And that hopey... Report an error in the passage at 3:19 Highlight the passage at 3:19

3:54 It gives you a way out of difficult problems, a way out of suffering, a way out of torture. Don't worry, be hopey. And I think many of you, sometimes people complain, Ajahn Brahm, all the people coming here to this Friday evening, they're mostly, please excuse me, but be honest, old people. Report an error in the passage at 3:54 Highlight the passage at 3:54

4:25 Look at your ages. Report an error in the passage at 4:25 Highlight the passage at 4:25

4:30 It's true, isn't it? This is a middle-aged club, and I'm being quite generous there. I am too! But nevertheless, it's like the idea of being hopey that things can be changed, that solutions can be found, which benefit everybody. And I thought that was a very, very good explanation. No matter what happens to you in life, the idea of don't worry, be hopey is actually quite true. And I've noticed, and then things like because the next couple of days, next week I'll be going to teach in Solaris Cancer Care Center. Report an error in the passage at 4:30 Highlight the passage at 4:30

5:22 Please excuse me for focusing on this, but you've got some wonderful stories about that place. One of them was that I was surprised why they kept on inviting me there. Every year I've been going. And I asked them once, why do you keep inviting me? And they said, one of the ladies there said, when the first time you came, I asked a question. Report an error in the passage at 5:22 Highlight the passage at 5:22

5:55 And the question I asked was, I had suffered immensely from breast cancer. I had to have one of my breasts removed, a mastectomy. That was not just physically really hurtful, but the sense of who I was as a woman was really challenged. Report an error in the passage at 5:55 Highlight the passage at 5:55

6:23 And he said, and I survived, but then I had this question I kept on asking again and again and again. From all these experts who were invited in here. And the question was, it hurts so much, what would happen if it came back again? Report an error in the passage at 6:23 Highlight the passage at 6:23

6:52 And that was a legitimate fear. And of course, you know what my answer was? I wasn't being silly, it was not one of Ajahn Brahm's jokes again. What I said was, what would happen if it did not come back again? And I gave the story of the great English philosopher Winnie the Pooh who was stuck in a forest walking home one evening or afternoon with his best friend little Piglet. Report an error in the passage at 6:52 Highlight the passage at 6:52

7:36 Little Piglet, this small little animal who was very, very scared, was so afraid. Because there's many branches and even trees falling over during that storm. And little Piglet said, I can't go on anymore. Report an error in the passage at 7:36 Highlight the passage at 7:36

7:57 I'm so terrified. What would happen? What would happen if a tree fell when we were underneath it? And there's a good chance of that. It's a very, very strong storm and many other trees were falling over. Report an error in the passage at 7:57 Highlight the passage at 7:57

8:18 And a great philosopher, W.T. Poo, Report an error in the passage at 8:18 Highlight the passage at 8:18

8:25 replied, and sometimes I like these kind of books which are supposed to be for children, because they say so many amazing things in such simple language you can never forget them. Winnie the Pooh said, what would happen if a tree did not fall when we were underneath it? Which was far more likely. Report an error in the passage at 8:25 Highlight the passage at 8:25

8:53 And that took away little piglets' fear so they could carry on walking and get home safely. And I told that story to someone who had been through cancer, survived. Report an error in the passage at 8:53 Highlight the passage at 8:53

9:10 What would happen if it didn't come back? And it didn't come back. I kept coming back every year for about 35 years. The cancer never came back. That taking away that fear, you can imagine how that fear can even create the cancers, but that positive attitude does not. And so because of that, I remember this one particular place, I kept going back year after year after year after year after year, and then this one year, in the post, I got this invitation. Report an error in the passage at 9:10 Highlight the passage at 9:10

9:58 to the new grand opening of the enhanced center. The government, the state government are giving millions of dollars to this organization to make sure they had better facilities for everybody. Report an error in the passage at 9:58 Highlight the passage at 9:58

10:19 And the grand opening, they had two VIPs attending. And the first VIP Ajahn Brahm was the premier of Western Australia at the time, and that was Colin Barnett. It was his electorate, so he managed to convince the state government to pay for all of these improvements. Report an error in the passage at 10:19 Highlight the passage at 10:19

10:48 And the other VIP was this person I'd never, actually that most people hadn't heard of before, called Ajahn Brahm. I could understand the reason why they got a premier to open the place. But why me? I'm just a monk. And when I asked, why did you invite me? That's what they said. Because you've been coming here every year for over 30 years. Report an error in the passage at 10:48 Highlight the passage at 10:48

11:21 And what you say helps us. So I had the two people opening the center, Ajahn Brahm and the premier. But I did insist, when I open a center, it's like when I bless your house or you have a new car and you want it blessed. What I always will do is get the bowl of holy water and soak you. So I said, if I accept, you have to allow me to do it the Buddhist way so I can soak the premier. Report an error in the passage at 11:21 Highlight the passage at 11:21

12:06 That was really good fun. He had a couple of bodyguards there because he was the premier. So I said to the three of them, Report an error in the passage at 12:06 Highlight the passage at 12:06

12:17 please excuse me, but it's nice having joy and happiness in a ceremony like that. So I don't know why I got into that. What was I talking about before? About the kindfulness and don't worry, be hopey. And these days, he also made that new word of kindfulness. adding kindness onto mindfulness and that's also just how one meditates to avoid things like cancer and how to avoid stress with kindness it's amazing what you can relax that's why many people come on retreats and hopefully a good retreat where they can use kindfulness and those 1300 people In Vietnam, who came on my retreat, that's what they were practicing, kindfulness. You sit down there in a big hall, which to me was very hot because it's the tropics and it was, you know, the cold season had just passed and this was a hot spell. Report an error in the passage at 12:17 Highlight the passage at 12:17

13:37 So nevertheless, be kindful to it. I can't change it. I can't say to the weather gods, please let it be cool. Because if I did, I get what happens over in Jhāna Grove sometimes. I tell people, I tell the person in charge of the air conditioner there, can you please turn the air conditioner down? And I see all the people coming from Thailand or Singapore or Hong Kong, wherever they come from, all coming into the room with blankets and woolly hats. Report an error in the passage at 13:37 Highlight the passage at 13:37

14:17 And it's January. Report an error in the passage at 14:17 Highlight the passage at 14:17

14:22 People are used to different temperatures. So sometimes what I decide to do, even though it's hot, I create this idea of a bubble around me. Report an error in the passage at 14:22 Highlight the passage at 14:22

14:34 Even if it's noisy, I create a bubble. And I like that skill of being able to create your own world within a world. And in that bubble, I put in things like peace, coolness, Report an error in the passage at 14:34 Highlight the passage at 14:34

14:53 I learned this because I did do experiments years and years ago with hypnosis and one of my associates in those experiments, I should announce, Bernard Carr, one of the close associates of Stephen Hawkins and one of my best friends from the time over in Cambridge. Report an error in the passage at 14:53 Highlight the passage at 14:53

15:22 He's coming to do an event at UWA. When is it? 24th of March or something? I forget which. But anyway, at UWA. So if anyone wants to see the two of us interact, that'll be coming up soon. I don't know what else he's going to be up to, but I'm sure, see if he can come up and do something here. Is that a good idea? Anyway. Report an error in the passage at 15:22 Highlight the passage at 15:22

15:50 He's a very nice guy. He was the guy who I first met at this, what they call, society's fair at the university. Had all these little stalls trying to get members of their societies to look after the emotional life of the students at that big university. Report an error in the passage at 15:50 Highlight the passage at 15:50

16:16 One of those clubs I saw But never joined was the Hare and Hounds Club, fox hunting. No way in the world would I ever sort of approve of that. But anyhow, another club which I saw, which I never, never expected to see, was the Cambridge University Buddhist Society. Report an error in the passage at 16:16 Highlight the passage at 16:16

16:47 And I'd never seen any other Buddhist. Up until that time. I became a Buddhist by reading books when I was 16. Now I was 18. And the first time in my life, there's actually an organization. There's other Buddhists I can talk with. They invited famous Buddhists to give lectures or to teach meditation. I thought, wow, is this real? So I went up there and there's this guy. Report an error in the passage at 16:47 Highlight the passage at 16:47

17:22 On the desk, and I said, I want to join. I told this story before but I love telling it. I don't care if you're bored listening to it. I love telling it. I want to join. And this guy, obviously you know it was Bernard. He said, no, you don't have to join. You can always come and listen to the talks, we won't take your names or your details, just come in, if you like it, you can join later if you want to. Report an error in the passage at 17:22 Highlight the passage at 17:22

17:53 He said, no, I want to join now. He said, look, you don't have to. And for somebody who's just running a society or a club, it was so difficult to join. Report an error in the passage at 17:53 Highlight the passage at 17:53

18:09 So how much is it per year? It was one pound. I had a sign there, one pound a year. That was in 1969. So one pound was worth a bit then. But nevertheless, I took out a pound note, slammed it on the table and said, join me now. Report an error in the passage at 18:09 Highlight the passage at 18:09

18:30 He had no choice. And that was the first time I met Bernard. That's how our friendship started in an argument. Report an error in the passage at 18:30 Highlight the passage at 18:30

18:43 And I really wanted to do that. I wanted to be kind. I wanted to actually show my appreciation for all the things which I'd read and understood so far, only just scratching the surface. But that society meant so much to me. And that's one of the reasons why I try my hardest to serve here as well. I don't know, I know some people say I'm an absolutely crazy monk. Surely Ajahn Brahm should have taken a rest tonight. Report an error in the passage at 18:43 Highlight the passage at 18:43

19:18 I've been talking, talking, talking, talking, talking and traveling, traveling, teaching retreats, working really hard over in Vietnam and having a long flight which again arrived at midnight but got back to the monastery 1am, actually 1.15am and then that was 1 Report an error in the passage at 19:18 Highlight the passage at 19:18

19:42 .15am this morning. That's true, Friday morning. Crikey. Report an error in the passage at 19:42 Highlight the passage at 19:42

19:50 And I'll come straight over here to give a Friday night talk. No problem at all. You know the reason why no problem? It's because I enjoy giving. I don't say teaching. I enjoy serving and see what I can do to help out in your lives. What you can do to help me out. So many ways we sort of interreact. To see how we can learn much more about life. And even this afternoon when I always try and come out in plenty of time, any questions you want to ask, I try and answer them, if at all can be answered. Report an error in the passage at 19:50 Highlight the passage at 19:50

20:40 And the one question which I kind of expected when I saw the fellow asking it, was Ajahn Brahm. Can you please encourage more people to understand those Buddhist precepts to be not harming other beings, not just human beings, but animals. Report an error in the passage at 20:40 Highlight the passage at 20:40

21:06 And I think I mentioned to you that story I mentioned over in Vietnam of the cow that cried. Do you know that story? The cow that cried? This was... That book, Opening the Door of Your Heart, which was translated into Vietnamese, and those books really meant a lot to the Buddhists in Vietnam. Report an error in the passage at 21:06 Highlight the passage at 21:06

21:36 And the Cow that Cried story was of this, when I was teaching in prisons, there's a monk teaching at Karnet prison this evening. Report an error in the passage at 21:36 Highlight the passage at 21:36

21:49 And we usually go there once every week or two weeks, I think. Once every two weeks, I think. And there's a lot of those prisoners come and listen to those talks. And one of the reasons they come and listen, had a lot of fun together I must admit, that this prisoner became like a good friend. And he was one of the gang leaders in the jails in Western Australia, big guy. Report an error in the passage at 21:49 Highlight the passage at 21:49

22:27 I gave my first talk at this prison. Of course, they always wanted to check me out. And when they were checking me out, one of them came up and said, Ajahn Brahm, is it really true that through meditation you can learn how to fly over walls? Report an error in the passage at 22:27 Highlight the passage at 22:27

22:51 He actually asked that. I couldn't believe it, but I told that story for years and years and years and years. And that's what he was really thinking. Report an error in the passage at 22:51 Highlight the passage at 22:51

23:04 And of course, I have to be honest, I said, yes, but it takes a lot of training, probably more years than any sentence you may be given by the courts of Western Australia. Report an error in the passage at 23:04 Highlight the passage at 23:04

23:20 But still, he became a good friend and I could talk about lots of things with him. But there was another friend who was even more violent than he was. Report an error in the passage at 23:20 Highlight the passage at 23:20

23:32 Did I tell the story two weeks ago about the Irish guy? Report an error in the passage at 23:32 Highlight the passage at 23:32

23:39 This fellow, he was brought up in Northern Ireland during what they call the troubles. And this guy, he swore a lot. I won't tell you exactly what he said with all the swear words. But he said that he was first stabbed when he was only seven years old. Six or seven, but mostly seven. I think. First stabbed. It was a very violent time in the city of Belfast. Report an error in the passage at 23:39 Highlight the passage at 23:39

24:21 When he went to school, some other kid came up to him and said, give me your money you have to buy lunch. And this kid, he didn't argue. He just said no. He said no once to the school bully. Report an error in the passage at 24:21 Highlight the passage at 24:21

24:44 And the bully never asked again. He just got out a knife and plunged it into this seven-year-old boy's arm. Report an error in the passage at 24:44 Highlight the passage at 24:44

24:57 And this boy ran out of the school gate with blood soaking his shirt to his father's house around the corner, his father unemployed, and screaming, saying, I've been stabbed! I've been stabbed! And the father replied, come into the kitchen. You'd think he'd use the kitchen. To get plaster or something to bind the wound. His father never did that. Report an error in the passage at 24:57 Highlight the passage at 24:57

25:32 His father took out another knife, handed it to his son. Only seven years of age. Go stab the boy back. Those are father's instructions. Imagine so growing up in a life like that. So anyhow, he had so much violence. Report an error in the passage at 25:32 Highlight the passage at 25:32

26:00 He's now in jail in Western Australia and in Karnet Prison Farm. Prison Farm. In that farm they have a slaughterhouse. They don't just grow vegetables. They grow sheep and cows and I don't know what else, body pigs, to be slaughtered. Report an error in the passage at 26:00 Highlight the passage at 26:00

26:33 And he was the head slaughterer, volunteered for that, just soaked in blood most days. And I remember him describing what it was like in that slaughterhouse. They did steel rails, stainless steel rails, really strong, just wide at the entrance and narrowing down. Report an error in the passage at 26:33 Highlight the passage at 26:33

27:04 to a place where only one animal could walk at a time and he had a platform above that narrow part of the rails and his job was Report an error in the passage at 27:04 Highlight the passage at 27:04

27:20 to slaughter the animals as they came past one by one and with his electronic gun he said all the animals knew what was going to happen all the animals screamed in their way Report an error in the passage at 27:20 Highlight the passage at 27:20

27:39 ...and try to escape. That's why he always had to shoot twice. The first was to stun, to keep him still enough, so he could shoot accurately the second shot. Report an error in the passage at 27:39 Highlight the passage at 27:39

27:54 And this day, they were slaughtering cows. And then, he'd slaughtered so many cows already that day. Report an error in the passage at 27:54 Highlight the passage at 27:54

28:08 And that was when one cow came in. It didn't struggle, didn't make any sounds. It walked, I tell this part of the story because this person had never seen this before, like the walking meditation Buddhists do on a retreat, calmly looking at the ground, making no noise, as it walked voluntarily to that position in the narrowest point of the railings. Report an error in the passage at 28:08 Highlight the passage at 28:08

28:49 Only when it positioned itself perfectly did it raise its big head and look at the prisoner with its wide eyes. You know how big cow's eyes are? And so the executioner, the slaughterer, these are the times when he kept swearing to me. This is God's own effing truth, he kept saying. I'm not making this up. Report an error in the passage at 28:49 Highlight the passage at 28:49

29:27 And I'd never seen anything like this before. And I could not aim the gun, let alone pull the trigger. I was actually shocked seeing this. And then, as time passed, he saw water well up in one of the cow's eyes as I was staring at him. Report an error in the passage at 29:27 Highlight the passage at 29:27

29:56 And as he was watching that eye, the water got so much The eyelid could not contain it any longer and the water dripped down the cow's eyes. And then he was really confused and he noticed the same was happening on the second eye. Water came down. He said, that cow was crying. And that's when he threw down his gun. Report an error in the passage at 29:56 Highlight the passage at 29:56

30:37 That cow ain't going to effing die. And that experience He ordered the life of a very, very, very violent man. And then when he saw me, he said, I'm a vegetarian now. And that story really, really impressed the publishers of the book Opening the Door of Your Heart in Germany. So they changed the name of that book from Opening the Door of Your Heart to the German of The Cow that Cried, Dukkhu Divinity, and that became a De Spiegel bestseller, and even it keeps on being reprinted, it still has the same name, Dukkhu Divinity. Report an error in the passage at 30:37 Highlight the passage at 30:37

31:40 So sometimes there's things which we may not expect, there's things we may be able to do to make for a better world, especially... The younger people who are here, see what you can do to help and heal other beings on this planet, to add more kindness. So when I start to talk about kindfulness in Vietnam, there's one thing which I have is all these wonderful stories. Report an error in the passage at 31:40 Highlight the passage at 31:40

32:20 I know one of the other stories which somebody told me, actually just before I went to Vietnam. about in meditation, how somebody, they got so deep in meditation, they couldn't locate their nose, and then the rest of their body vanished. Report an error in the passage at 32:20 Highlight the passage at 32:20

32:44 You know where it went, the body and the nose? Nobody knows. Report an error in the passage at 32:44 Highlight the passage at 32:44

32:54 Sorry, Report an error in the passage at 32:54 Highlight the passage at 32:54

33:02 I thought I'd tell a funny story for those who got a bit emotionally tied up with the previous story. Report an error in the passage at 33:02 Highlight the passage at 33:02

33:12 It's like, you know, it's a wonderful way of teaching to be able to tell funny stories. And that, people remember that more than anything. It's one of the reasons why. You know, it's the media sort of interviewed me over in Ho Chi Minh City. And they asked me, one of the questions they asked me was, you know, how I thought of You know, the Chinese New Year and the lion dances. And I told them, this particular New Year is the year of the horse, so it's a great opportunity to give donations to horse-pitals. Report an error in the passage at 33:12 Highlight the passage at 33:12

34:06 For some reason they like that. You know, they liked interviewing you but also telling a bit of a funny story which they didn't expect. Report an error in the passage at 34:06 Highlight the passage at 34:06

34:17 I told that to a few people earlier and they promised me they were going to groan. They haven't groaned at all yet. Now they're beginning to get the message. Report an error in the passage at 34:17 Highlight the passage at 34:17

34:28 But when you actually just, why do we spend so much money just on big celebrations and lots of food? Can't we do something a bit more meaningful? Just horse pit towels on the Year of the Horse. So anyway, we're going to have our little ceremonies here on the 27th. What day is it today? Report an error in the passage at 34:28 Highlight the passage at 34:28

35:00 Six, yeah. Three weeks time. So I hope to see you then. And please, I mean, most of the money you bring for donations on that day gets eaten by the lions. Report an error in the passage at 35:00 Highlight the passage at 35:00

35:16 There's a bit of good fun. And especially for the kids. They can see monsters. I always used to say they're monsters. It's a lot of hard work, but it's a nice way of celebrating, do something a bit different, more interesting. And the one thing which I do like about this center is how many people from so many different lands come here, and how wonderful that is, that we can meet each other and have this kind of harmony here. Report an error in the passage at 35:16 Highlight the passage at 35:16

35:52 That's one of the most... ...amazing things. Most of the places where I grew up as a Buddhist used to have just the local Buddhist society or expatriate Sri Lankans or Thais. Isn't it wonderful to have people from all over the place and no one is ever kept out and there's no worry about things, we do have Report an error in the passage at 35:52 Highlight the passage at 35:52

36:21 No one is asked ever to make donations. I know that Eddie, we did make that announcement, that some really kind person is raising funds for the Albany Monastery. Now the road there, we tried to get funds enough for that monastery for a long time now. But poor old Ajahn Muddu who's running that place. Report an error in the passage at 36:21 Highlight the passage at 36:21

36:50 It's having such a difficult time and having enough people support him. The main thing is like a road. That road will also carry electricity supply and water and telephone up to his monastery. So what he's trying to do now is we're thinking of getting some of this stuff done by contractors rather than him. Report an error in the passage at 36:50 Highlight the passage at 36:50

37:18 If you have contractors, they can usually do it much faster. Never better. Now honestly, if any of you ever go and check the work and the quality of the work done by monks over at, say, Kusala Vihara, that's where Ajahn Santutthi works. He's the boss there. It's amazing the amount of work he's done and how beautiful it is. Report an error in the passage at 37:18 Highlight the passage at 37:18

37:50 How well it is built. Sometimes, I don't think I finish the story, but I said this a lot to those people over in Vietnam. The first book that I wrote about opening the door, it is called Opening the Door of Your Heart, The Coup de Vente in German. That first book which I wrote, I wrote reluctantly. I said reluctantly because I didn't want to spend all that time writing. People tell me to write a book is really difficult. And then not just writing it, but then finding a publisher. Report an error in the passage at 37:50 Highlight the passage at 37:50

38:39 But the way I did it, there's no difficulty finding a publisher and no difficulty writing it. Report an error in the passage at 38:39 Highlight the passage at 38:39

38:51 Writing it, not typing it out on a computer. I didn't have a computer in those days. There was one lady from the Armadale group at the time and she complained to me. She told me that all the stories which I keep on telling helped her survive a very painful divorce. Report an error in the passage at 38:51 Highlight the passage at 38:51

39:15 And she appreciated them so much that you must publish them so they can get wider, not just the Buddhists. But I said, too difficult. Report an error in the passage at 39:15 Highlight the passage at 39:15

39:27 But I always admire the wisdom of that woman. She said, well, if you want to do it, I will do it, and you can just check it. Okay. Report an error in the passage at 39:27 Highlight the passage at 39:27

39:37 So she wrote out five stories. And when I looked at them, it was hopeless. It was terrible. She did it so badly. I think she did that on purpose. I don't think anyone can do that. Because it was so bad, I thought, the only thing I can do is do it myself. Report an error in the passage at 39:37 Highlight the passage at 39:37

40:00 That's a great way of getting other people to do something. So you do it and make a big mess of it. Report an error in the passage at 40:00 Highlight the passage at 40:00

40:10 So I did that. But I didn't have much time. But I was doing a personal two-week retreat. And a personal two-week retreat, lots of meditation, not any duties, I thought I can spare an hour every day writing. Report an error in the passage at 40:10 Highlight the passage at 40:10

40:33 Just one hour. By hand. That's what I did. Just one hour every day for 14 days. And I'd always stop after an hour. It wouldn't be an hour and one minute or 59 minutes. I just wrote. Just with a kind of a samādhi mind. Report an error in the passage at 40:33 Highlight the passage at 40:33

40:58 Not changing. Was that right? Can I improve this? Can I improve that? No. Just write. Let go of past. Let go of future. And just see what happens. Report an error in the passage at 40:58 Highlight the passage at 40:58

41:09 I think 60 % of that book was finished after 14 days. And the manuscript was so perfectly written it hardly needed any corrections. Report an error in the passage at 41:09 Highlight the passage at 41:09

41:30 And the rest, the other 40 % finished off pretty quickly. But that manuscript not written in, not typed out, It had to be typed out in order to give it to a publisher. So someone else did that job, typing it on a disc, a CD disc. Report an error in the passage at 41:30 Highlight the passage at 41:30

41:55 And once they finished it, they handed it to me just on the evening before I got on an aircraft to go to Melbourne, helping the Buddhist Society of Victoria. And the first... A gig that evening was at Melbourne University to give a talk. So I gave the talk at Melbourne University and it was in time that the person could give me the CD in my little bag. Report an error in the passage at 41:55 Highlight the passage at 41:55

42:33 And then after the talk, when people come up to ask questions, this lady came up and asked, that was a great talk. If ever you have anything to publish, please contact my publishing house. Report an error in the passage at 42:33 Highlight the passage at 42:33

42:54 I put my hand in my bag and brought out the CD. Try this. That was how I got my book published. Absolutely zero effort. I kind of like that because that fits how Ajahn Chah taught me. You don't put effort into things, you just let it happen. And that's how opening the door of your heart started. They've been translated in so many different languages. So easy to do. Report an error in the passage at 42:54 Highlight the passage at 42:54

43:26 But the nicest thing about that, it really impressed me, still does, the original manuscript, the thing which I wrote out by hand. Report an error in the passage at 43:26 Highlight the passage at 43:26

43:41 I'm not going to tell you. I can't not tell you. Where that is, is in my... A hut at Serpentine, the original manuscript. Every time I open up, did I really do this? That's how easy it is when you practice meditation, just let it happen. You don't think about it. You don't spoil it. And many people ask me, it's amazing font. Report an error in the passage at 43:41 Highlight the passage at 43:41

44:13 What type of font is that in? I just wrote. But when you're mindful and peaceful, It's amazing how you can produce amazing things like that. And there's still a copy of that at the West Australian Museum. Report an error in the passage at 44:13 Highlight the passage at 44:13

44:38 They've got a little space for me there somewhere. Was that right? Yeah. I've never seen that. I don't need to have my own copy. But it's amazing that it's in a museum. Report an error in the passage at 44:38 Highlight the passage at 44:38

44:56 But then that's the example which I give to people. in Vietnam to this company to say you've got the room here I gave a talk there on kindfulness and wouldn't it be wonderful if you can allow the people in your company to use this room at any time of the day whether it's they're supposed to be there or somewhere else if ever they feel stressed out. Report an error in the passage at 44:56 Highlight the passage at 44:56

45:35 Because if you feel stressed out, you can't produce. If you can allow your staff, when they feel tensed up, to go to that room to relax a bit of quick meditation, then when they go back to their desk in front of their computer, their mind becomes so cleansed, so powerful, that you can actually write out that report so quickly. Report an error in the passage at 45:35 Highlight the passage at 45:35

46:07 And so beautifully. And then what it means is that productivity goes up by taking half an hour off to relax and meditate. You're not sort of goofing off. You're not just doing this just to not work at all. You find afterwards you can work and perform so much better. Have you ever come across that problem? Report an error in the passage at 46:07 Highlight the passage at 46:07

46:39 You've got a report to write out and just you haven't got the inspiration, you're tired, you're fed up. Imagine if you had that opportunity to go into a kindfulness room, relax to the max. After half an hour you go back to the computer. So good, so fast. You're not bosses, CEOs, you're not losing out. Report an error in the passage at 46:39 Highlight the passage at 46:39

47:07 You're actually gaining a happier... More innovative stuff. That's what I taught. And apparently that night the CEO made that the rule in that company. Anyone can go into the mindfulness room at any time of the day to relax. Understanding the problem of stress in society. Report an error in the passage at 47:07 Highlight the passage at 47:07

47:33 I was really pleased. I must have made a big input there. They didn't even sort of have a meeting about it. The boss just said, yeah, we're going to do this. Report an error in the passage at 47:33 Highlight the passage at 47:33

47:44 And they did it. So those are the kind of successes which I like, when things happen and they happen beautifully. Different ways to... Would you like to work in a place where you feel stressed out, any time of the day, night, or wherever you work, and go into like the meditation room and relax? Right here in the BSWA. Report an error in the passage at 47:44 Highlight the passage at 47:44

48:20 Can we do that here, Leihar? Yes, she said. And what's your job? You're still the ops manager. Report an error in the passage at 48:20 Highlight the passage at 48:20

48:35 So she's the boss of the people who actually work here. I'm the boss of the monks. Are you allowed to do that at Bodhinyana Monastery? Report an error in the passage at 48:35 Highlight the passage at 48:35

48:50 It'd be really weird if you can't. That's how I can exploit the monks much more. Better productivity. Okay. So I better stop talking now. It's amazing I still can talk. But I hope you enjoyed it. Sadhu, sadhu, sadhu. Report an error in the passage at 48:50 Highlight the passage at 48:50

49:19 And I also actually taught the people in Vietnam what that means, sadhu, sadhu, sadhu. I've asked many people, what's a nice word for that? Report an error in the passage at 49:19 Highlight the passage at 49:19

49:32 And some young people said a really good word for sadhu is wicked. Report an error in the passage at 49:32 Highlight the passage at 49:32

49:40 I thought wicked, we can't use that here. But sadhu, like awesome. And when you say sadhu, you've got to do it the Ajahn Brahm style. Report an error in the passage at 49:40 Highlight the passage at 49:40

49:51 So how do you say sadhu three times? Report an error in the passage at 49:51 Highlight the passage at 49:51

49:57 Sadhu, sadhu, sadhu. Report an error in the passage at 49:57 Highlight the passage at 49:57

50:06 Which one feels the best? The last one, yeah. When you really put some energy into it. Celebrate, why not? Okay, questions. Okay, do something for me. This first of all. Report an error in the passage at 50:06 Highlight the passage at 50:06

50:24 Okay. Question. As a lay person walking the spiritual path, how can one be fully responsible in daily life, family and professional life, while not becoming attached to desires? Report an error in the passage at 50:24 Highlight the passage at 50:24

50:39 The more attached you are to desires, the more closed you are to different ways of doing things. You walk in spiritual path, Being responsible in daily life, the less desires you have, the more efficiency. What do you want in life? Report an error in the passage at 50:39 Highlight the passage at 50:39

50:59 Number one, it's not what you want, it's what we want as a family. I say this often to people who are married. It's not what you want, it's what we want. You know, the two partners, the children, parents. Report an error in the passage at 50:59 Highlight the passage at 50:59

51:21 Come to a decision and follow that. What we want is a Buddhist society. It's not about me. Report an error in the passage at 51:21 Highlight the passage at 51:21

51:34 So that's how you do it. You're not attached to desires. You find out what we want to do and make that happen. Question from Bolivia. As part of a list to overcome ill will, the Buddha taught the reflection of karma. When I try that I find that no karma justice is enough to satisfy my hate. Why is it? Oh my goodness, nothing satisfies hate. Report an error in the passage at 51:34 Highlight the passage at 51:34

52:07 What is to overcome hate is to understand that a lot of that hate comes from fear, comes from a sense of self, not understanding just why do you hate anybody? Report an error in the passage at 52:07 Highlight the passage at 52:07

52:24 My goodness. Can I be honest? It's been a long time since I hated somebody. I can't make sense of hate. Why on earth do you want to hate somebody? Report an error in the passage at 52:24 Highlight the passage at 52:24

52:42 They're suffering enough already before they do any bad things. The last thing you want is to hate them for something. Report an error in the passage at 52:42 Highlight the passage at 52:42

52:55 A good example of that, years and years and years ago, I gave a talk here a long time ago now, and after I gave the talk, somebody posted these posters on people's cars. Report an error in the passage at 52:55 Highlight the passage at 52:55

53:15 The picture of me, they didn't call me Ajahn Brahm, they did a lay name. Peter Betts, don't trust this man, he's not a real monk, he slept with my wife, he said. And I would never so trust him with anything. Report an error in the passage at 53:15 Highlight the passage at 53:15

53:35 Everybody's class. So somebody showed that to me after the talk had finished. When I gave the next talk here, I said, many of you may have got this poster last week. I said, if you did, we had all our past presidents of the BSWA. Please go and talk to any of them. They don't always do what I ask. They're all here to answer any questions you may have about my conduct. I said I'm a good monk and I've proved it to many of you over many, many years. Report an error in the passage at 53:35 Highlight the passage at 53:35

54:17 But if there's any accusations, please, these are the people to ask. And they were also good people, high standing people. And so that's why I said, please, that's the only way I can defend myself. But anyhow, Report an error in the passage at 54:17 Highlight the passage at 54:17

54:36 As soon as I acted like that, then all those criticisms disappeared. But I never ever felt any hatred to somebody who criticized me like that. They say this is a kind of stupidity. There must be some other reason why they made those accusations. And you can prove they're untrue. Report an error in the passage at 54:36 Highlight the passage at 54:36

55:02 Although I remember that one time... Sorry, I can't resist. I made a confession to everybody here. Report an error in the passage at 55:02 Highlight the passage at 55:02

55:18 I said, honestly, many years ago, many years ago, I hugged and kissed another man's wife. Report an error in the passage at 55:18 Highlight the passage at 55:18

55:36 We loved each other. They were some of the happiest moments of my life. Honestly. And as many people about to leave, like these two people about to leave, I said, that woman was my mother. Report an error in the passage at 55:36 Highlight the passage at 55:36

55:58 She's my father's wife. I hugged and kissed. Another man's wife. My dad's wife. And when I said that, people laughed out of relief. Report an error in the passage at 55:58 Highlight the passage at 55:58

56:15 So sometimes people get the wrong idea. But anyway, I'm a good man. Question from Medan in Indonesia. How to effectively implement disconnect to connect among the younger generation who tend to be addicted to cell phones and social media? So they can calm themselves. It's a wonderful thing to put down social media. Sometimes when a few, that's why sometimes a few places that there is no Wi-Fi, there is no way to connect. Report an error in the passage at 56:15 Highlight the passage at 56:15

56:54 I know one place which doesn't have Wi-Fi, my cave. So because that doesn't have any Wi-Fi, I just go in there and disconnect from everybody. You too, I'm sorry to say, but when I go in my cave, I disappear. The other place I can disconnect is in my bubble. If I don't have a cave around me, I just imagine around me is a nice bubble and that's where I belong. Report an error in the passage at 56:54 Highlight the passage at 56:54

57:30 And outside, I don't hear anything. I don't pay attention to hearing anything. One of the recent times I did this, It was again in an airport. I arrived early and the people who were supposed to pick me up to take me to a little conference, interestingly, about bhikkhunis. And because I arrived early, they said, do you mind waiting until somebody else comes? Report an error in the passage at 57:30 Highlight the passage at 57:30

58:04 I said, no, not at all. They're going to come in about an hour's time. Perfect. So I sat down. Just in the place of so many people coming and going in the arrivals area of Suvarnabhumi Airport. I sat down there and created a bubble around me. You know, just what I learned. What Report an error in the passage at 58:04 Highlight the passage at 58:04

58:45 I learned you can do through meditation. I was taught to do this under hypnosis but meditation is more effective. Create a bubble around you. Report an error in the passage at 58:45 Highlight the passage at 58:45

58:58 And then inside of that, it was like there was no one around. And you stopped hearing all the people coming and going. So you can get into some nice meditation for an hour. And the more you get into that meditation, the stronger that bubble becomes. That's in the middle of an airport. So disconnect, and then you can have some peace and quiet at any place, wherever you want. Report an error in the passage at 58:58 Highlight the passage at 58:58

59:35 Question from Germany. Dear Ajahn, how do you put a space between you and body, pain and brain feelings so I can observe and find peace? How to put space so I can calm down and find peace and stillness? How to sleep when someone has depression and anxiety? There are four questions. Report an error in the passage at 59:35 Highlight the passage at 59:35

59:58 Anyway, how do you put a space between you and body, pain and brain feelings? So I can observe and find peace. That is like the same technique as with the bubble. Inside the bubble, that's my little cave. Outside, outside my cave you can hardly hear anything. Report an error in the passage at 59:58 Highlight the passage at 59:58

1:00:26 That's one of the reasons in the last time I came here, I mentioned to you how the lock to one of my doors of my cave, Got two doors, but you have to go for the first one and then the second one. It's like a double door. How it busted and got jammed and I could not shout for help. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:26 Highlight the passage at 1:00:26

1:00:52 No one can hear you when you're inside. I had to wait until I didn't turn up for breakfast and I thought, is he in samādhi? Is he dead? And I came and checked out. They found I was still alive and hungry but I couldn't actually get out of the cave. Stuck in there. That's how I got very good at opening locks. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:52 Highlight the passage at 1:00:52

1:01:20 You invited me to tell this story. So when I came here this afternoon, they could not open the door between the reception area and where the monks area is. So who tried? I know Leihar tried. A few other people tried. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:20 Highlight the passage at 1:01:20

1:01:43 And you tried as well, didn't you? No one could open it. So you said, let Ajahn Brahm have a try. I never tried at all. Just put the key in and opened it. Was that true, Leah? Yeah. Were you embarrassed? Report an error in the passage at 1:01:43 Highlight the passage at 1:01:43

1:02:10 But I do remember, there's this one other lady, I'm not quite sure where she is today, Ronnie, Ronnie Damali. And she was... I was working for the youth group and after doing their little session on a Saturday afternoon or Sunday afternoon, I forget which, after doing their session that they wanted to go to the beach. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:10 Highlight the passage at 1:02:10

1:02:39 It was a hot day. They were young people. And so I went round the corner to do a chanting for a house and then when I was walking back they were still trying to open the car. They couldn't. It was locked and they'd even called the RAC. Apparently the RAC hadn't turned up yet. So they saw me coming and somebody said, Oh, Ajahn Brahm can do this using his powers. I Report an error in the passage at 1:02:39 Highlight the passage at 1:02:39

1:03:15 should have said this, but I did. I said, OK, I'll open the boot of your car. You've been trying for an hour to open it on one condition. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:15 Highlight the passage at 1:03:15

1:03:26 If I open the boot of that car for you, Ronnie, Will you promise to become a bhikkhuni, a nun? That's what I said. And stupidly he said, yes, yes, I'll become a bhikkhuni if you can open the boot of that car. Let me have the key. Put the key in, opened it straight away. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:26 Highlight the passage at 1:03:26

1:03:53 She screamed. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:53 Highlight the passage at 1:03:53

1:04:00 But then there was another of the members of the youth group. She said, I'm a lawyer. So yes, you will become a bhikkhuni. She never said when or in which lifetime. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:00 Highlight the passage at 1:04:00

1:04:17 But Rani would have to become a bhikkhuni one day. She made that promise. That's why I made a mistake this afternoon. Because I was tired, just arrived this morning. If I had arrived a day earlier, I would have said she'd lay high. Yes, I would open that if you promise to become bhikkhuni. You escape very, very easily then, very luckily. But please don't test me again. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:17 Highlight the passage at 1:04:17

1:04:48 Okay. Oh my goodness. Bonus question for next week. What Buddhist advice for those who do not have a partner for Valentine's Day and feel lonely? Report an error in the passage at 1:04:48 Highlight the passage at 1:04:48

1:05:06 I had a similar question to that when I gave a talk. It just happened to be Valentine's Day for the Buddhist Fellowship in Singapore many years ago. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:06 Highlight the passage at 1:05:06

1:05:19 So I remember it was Angie Monksfield, the president at that time there, She was asking, she said, can I do something, because it's Valentine's Day today, so I know that many people feel lonely if they haven't got a good partner. So she asked the question, first of all, how many of you have not got a partner? Straight away I put my hand up. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:19 Highlight the passage at 1:05:19

1:05:45 I'm being honest. I'm not married. So Ajahn Brahm put your hand down. And that was the end of that series of questions. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:45 Highlight the passage at 1:05:45

1:05:59 Also, yes, I don't have a partner, but I'm not available. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:59 Highlight the passage at 1:05:59

1:06:06 Okay, any questions from the floor before we finish off? Yeah, go on, Eddie. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:06 Highlight the passage at 1:06:06

1:06:19 Ajahn Brahm, just now you mentioned that you are meeting this Professor Kahn at UWA on the 24th of March. Can you tell us something about it, Ajahn Brahm, please? Something called the Black Swan Society. I haven't heard of it before. But anyway, they wrote to me some time ago. They're very smart. Can you come and give a talk at the Black Swan Society? Report an error in the passage at 1:06:19 Highlight the passage at 1:06:19

1:06:50 And they said, why? I said, because one of your mates, Bernard Carr, is going to come. And I thought, that's nice. Anyway, where was it going? March or something. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:50 Highlight the passage at 1:06:50

1:07:06 Anyway, UWA. Where's Aurora? Actually it was Earl who was making the arrangements. Do you remember what day it was? 24th? It Report an error in the passage at 1:07:06 Highlight the passage at 1:07:06

1:07:20 could be the 24th. You know what I'm like with arrangements. I always live in the present moment. That's why sometimes... Yeah, it is the 24th. 24th at UWA. Black Swan Society. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:20 Highlight the passage at 1:07:20

1:07:39 And they did actually say that they're willing to provide a couple of free tickets for the BSWA. Should I say that? You know, Ajahn Brahm, why I ask you this question, you know, it's not related to the talk, okay? Yeah. Because you're meeting, like you're a monk, you know, you're meeting this, like a professor, you know? Report an error in the passage at 1:07:39 Highlight the passage at 1:07:39

1:08:07 Yeah. What came to my mind is on medical conditions, you know, medical conditions. Yeah. I was just thinking, Ajahn Brahm, it's not related to the talk, yeah. You know this, Report an error in the passage at 1:08:07 Highlight the passage at 1:08:07

1:08:18 We have Western-trained medical people. I was just thinking, if they can come, Western-trained medical people, then we have people like naturopaths, and Buddhist monks can come together to have maybe like a discussion on treatments. Sometimes you can do that. Yeah, instead of just like... On one side, oh no, only mind. I'll give you an example. It's not related to talk. When I was, many years ago, my work colleague is from the horse's mouth. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:18 Highlight the passage at 1:08:18

1:08:57 This guy, he's a Polish guy. He's about 40 years old. He told me that the doctors give him three weeks to live. Three weeks to live, yeah. But then he went to take this Chinese herbal medication. He boiled these herbs for twice a week, you know. And he took it, he says, now I'm eight, nine years ago. It's just normal. He didn't even think of the, he had cancer. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:57 Highlight the passage at 1:08:57

1:09:27 Cancer, I don't know what cancer, it was just normal. But a lot of time, people won't organize talks like that. They're afraid of being sued. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:27 Highlight the passage at 1:09:27

1:09:38 But anyway, with Bernard, he's not a professor. of medicine. He's another theoretical physicist. And he knows more about theoretical physics than I do. But we also, I know more about Buddhism than he does. He's the first Buddhist man I met. But the other thing we shared a passion for was psychic phenomena. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:38 Highlight the passage at 1:09:38

1:10:10 He's the one who did all these experiments. In psychic powers, hypnotism and all that sort of stuff. And that's what I found really interesting. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:10 Highlight the passage at 1:10:10

1:10:28 So I'm sure they will have a lot of stories about... What Report an error in the passage at 1:10:28 Highlight the passage at 1:10:28

1:10:38 was that story? I haven't told that one for a while. About the guy walking through the cemetery at night and he heard this strange sound. Tap, tap. Tap, tap. Tap. Tap. That was a weird sound, especially in the middle of the night in the cemetery. He had a flashlight. He turned it around. He found the source of that sound. It was an old man. He was working on a headstone in the graveyard. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:38 Highlight the passage at 1:10:38

1:11:18 He said, why are you working so late at night? What are you doing anyway? And the guy said, Because somebody spelt my name wrong on the headstone. I Report an error in the passage at 1:11:18 Highlight the passage at 1:11:18

1:11:40 love stories like that. Okay. So thanks again for coming. I'll finish off now. Because it's good I have a break. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:40 Highlight the passage at 1:11:40

1:11:53 Yeah, okay. So, anyway, see you next time. Sadhu, sadhu, sadhu. Excellent. It's Report an error in the passage at 1:11:53 Highlight the passage at 1:11:53

1:12:10 nice when I come back and see you all. It's like old friends. That's what I did when I was in, over in Vietnam. I saw many old friends. You see them come here, you see them over there. Many of the same people. So that's why I can't always tell the same jokes. I'll wait for a while until I think you've forgotten. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:10 Highlight the passage at 1:12:10

1:12:37 Okay, so I'm going to pay respects to the Buddha at Dhammasangana. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:37 Highlight the passage at 1:12:37

1:13:04 time, I'll be what they need. Svakkhato bhagavata dhammo dhammang namassami. Su-pa-ti-pa-no, pa-ga-wa-to, sa-wa-ka-san-go, san - Very good. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:04 Highlight the passage at 1:13:04