Letting Go

0:00 So for those of you who want to go to the toilet or something, or if you want to move inside, most welcome, or if you need to go somewhere else, then we can start this evening's talk. Report an error in the passage at 0:00 Highlight the passage at 0:00

0:22 Now as you all know, I give so many dharma talks in my life. The first talk that I ever A big talk that I ever gave was on the full moon day in February in Thailand. It was called Magapuja. Any Thais here? But anyway, on that day, that we would all go on the full moon day, we would all go to Ajahn Chah's monastery and he would give just a really big talk. Report an error in the passage at 0:22 Highlight the passage at 0:22

1:03 But sometimes that... He would look down the line of monks who'd come to the temple on that full moon day. He would scan their faces. And I was told that if his face stopped at yours, you'd have to get up and give the talk. It wasn't just a few hundred monks. It was a few thousand lay people who went to the temple on that night, the full moon night of May. Report an error in the passage at 1:03 Highlight the passage at 1:03

1:38 So when he started looking down the line of monks, he got to my face and he moved past it. I did a big sigh of relief. And then his face went up again to mine and stopped. Brahma Wongso. That's my full name, not just Ajahn Brahm. I wasn't an Ajahn then. Only four years as a monk. Get up and give the talk. And that was on... Report an error in the passage at 1:38 Highlight the passage at 1:38

2:10 An important day of the year, the full moon day of February, which was the next in importance to something like Vaisakha. And I had no choice. And it wasn't just a talk, it was a talk in Thai. Report an error in the passage at 2:10 Highlight the passage at 2:10

2:32 And I had learnt enough Thai to get by, but this was a whole talk. To many, many people. But one thing I always remembered was the training which someone like an Ajahn Chah had given me. And that training was, let go. Just go up there and do it. It was his fault. If I made a mess of it, it was not my fault. Report an error in the passage at 2:32 Highlight the passage at 2:32

3:01 He told me to go up and give the talk. He should have known better. So that meant you could relax and enjoy what you're about to say. Report an error in the passage at 3:01 Highlight the passage at 3:01

3:11 One of the little sayings which I gave there was, it was a little Jataka tale which I always loved on a full moon night. And I was telling that to the people whose house I went to Dana to today. And some of the monks said they hadn't heard that before. So I'm going to say it again now to you. That on a full moon night, so many centuries ago, There were these three animals. It was the otter, the jackal and the hare. Report an error in the passage at 3:11 Highlight the passage at 3:11

3:51 And they were three really good friends, even though they were different species. They were such good friends that they made a vow to try and keep a religious lifestyle on the full moon nights, only once a month. Report an error in the passage at 3:51 Highlight the passage at 3:51

4:12 And so when it came to this full moon night, one part of their vow was to keep their five precepts, not killing any living being, not stealing, not committing adultery, not lying, not taking alcohol or drugs. They were trying to be good for one day of the month. And they also made a vow Which would be very common in Indian culture. If you see any sadhu, any holy person, man or woman, you'd always help them by giving them some food. Report an error in the passage at 4:12 Highlight the passage at 4:12

4:55 And so, according to this tradition, there was a heavenly being. It was actually Indra or Saka. He saw them and thought, are these animals really serious? So he took the form. of, say, a holy person with an alms bowl walking on his alms round. When these three animals saw, like a monk, on alms round, they felt compelled. Report an error in the passage at 4:55 Highlight the passage at 4:55

5:28 They had to give him something. I don't know what it is, but many people have that kind of compulsion. If you see a monk on an alms round, you want to give him something to eat. I remember that happened when we had One of these conferences over here in Perth and one of the monks decided he wasn't going to take the food which was offered in the conference room, nicely cooked food. Report an error in the passage at 5:28 Highlight the passage at 5:28

5:58 He brought his bowl and he went for alms round in the city of Perth and also enjoyed his terrace. And no sort of warning to anybody was going to go. He told me, he said, I wanted to see what happens. He took his bowl, and as he was walking, he couldn't believe the generosity of people. He said what really almost made him cry was when this homeless person, he had a sandwich from somewhere, and he put the sandwich in the monk's bowl. Report an error in the passage at 5:58 Highlight the passage at 5:58

6:36 The monk wanted to receive it. It's important that we just acknowledge the generosity and the kindness, no matter where it comes from. Not worrying about whether it was clean, whatever. Somebody wanted to give it to him, so he was very happily accepted it. When he told me, it inspired me. Sometimes we judge people way too quickly. Report an error in the passage at 6:36 Highlight the passage at 6:36

7:03 It was as a homeless person that wanted to give something to a monk. And he received it. And anyway, that was just like these three little animals. And so the otter thought, what can I get for food for this monk? I can't fish on this day because he was keeping the five precepts, not killing. But he remembered he'd actually buried some fish somewhere in case he got hungry that day. Report an error in the passage at 7:03 Highlight the passage at 7:03

7:35 So he dug up that fish, washed them. And he offered it to the monk and the monk gave him a blessing. The jackal, what can I give to this monk? And so he went into the village and he found some food which was still good but had been sort of thrown away. And he did something which, as a monk I know, if you find something which you think has been abandoned, you don't just pick it up and take it if it has no owner. Report an error in the passage at 7:35 Highlight the passage at 7:35

8:07 You make a statement out aloud, does this belong to anybody? You repeat it another two times, does this belong to anybody? Does this belong to anybody? And if nobody claims it, then it's yours to take. So he took some food and gave that to the monk, that's how he got that food. And it came to the hare's turn. And the hare thought, well, I can get him some food. Report an error in the passage at 8:07 Highlight the passage at 8:07

8:37 And so he started picking some grass, which is what hares, rabbits eat. And then he thought, no, hang on. Human beings don't eat grass. Report an error in the passage at 8:37 Highlight the passage at 8:37

8:49 So he said, I can't give him some grass. What can I give him to eat? And this is my vow. So the rabbit found a big pot and some sticks, filled the pot with water, lit the sticks underneath the pot and started boiling some water. Report an error in the passage at 8:49 Highlight the passage at 8:49

9:09 And as the water got very close to boiling very quickly, then he made a vow. His vow was a warning to all the bugs who lived in the fur of the hare, just depending on its blood in its skin to bite him. He said, little bugs, please leave my skin now. I'm soon going to jump into this pot and boil myself. Report an error in the passage at 9:09 Highlight the passage at 9:09

9:40 To give food to this monk. And he shook his fur. Only a few little bugs left his fur. So he shook it again, repeated the vow. I'm going to soon jump into this pot of boiling water to make some soup for this monk. And this time more of these bugs eating the skin sort of left. Report an error in the passage at 9:40 Highlight the passage at 9:40

10:10 And one last time, he said, third time, you should do things three times. The last warning, leave now, otherwise you will die. And suddenly bugs left this hare's fur. And after that, the hare jumped into the bubbling boiling water to complete his vow to give food to this monk. But of course it wasn't a real monk. Report an error in the passage at 10:10 Highlight the passage at 10:10

10:41 It was a heavenly being. So as soon as the hare jumped into the pot of boiling water, the water turned cool and the hare didn't die at all. It was just like jumping into a bath. And the hare was really surprised. And the monk then revealed himself to be from some heaven realm. And he said, all three of you have done extremely well, a great risk. Report an error in the passage at 10:41 Highlight the passage at 10:41

11:14 You managed to keep your vow. But you, Mr. Hare, you've done extremely well, willing to sacrifice your life to keep your vow. And the heavenly being, with his hand, started scratching the image of a hare on the full moon. And that's what you see in the night time, whenever you gaze at the moon at night. Report an error in the passage at 11:14 Highlight the passage at 11:14

11:45 I don't know why, but I love that story. That's where you see the rabbit in the moon or the hare in the moon with two big ears. And that to me, when I know the story which is supposed to be told behind it, it kind of inspires. Report an error in the passage at 11:45 Highlight the passage at 11:45

12:02 Many, many times I was talking to people earlier that the reason why I get inspired by these things is you have your own experiences of like real Report an error in the passage at 12:02 Highlight the passage at 12:02

12:18 Please excuse me for telling this again, because I told it just before I came in here, that before I was a monk, I was a theoretical physicist at Cambridge. That's where Stephen Hawking was. Not just Stephen Hawking, but also one of my best friends, Bernard Carr, who was one of the helpers. of Stephen Hawking and even actually wrote a book which was co-authored by Stephen Hawking and Professor Bernard Carr. Report an error in the passage at 12:18 Highlight the passage at 12:18

12:56 But Bernard Carr was also a Buddhist. He was the first Buddhist I ever met, a lay Buddhist. And he was also, you can find the similarities between him and I, and that was that he was a president of the Cambridge University Psychic research society, investigating hypnosis, investigating ghosts. We'd actually go searching for ghosts, not scared of them. We want to investigate them. We had a training in science. Report an error in the passage at 12:56 Highlight the passage at 12:56

13:35 We want to get some evidence for them. And I kept up with that part of my academic training when I became a monk. You've already seen plenty of ghosts, so I've got no doubt of their existence. See them! But not just that, they're heavenly beings. Report an error in the passage at 13:35 Highlight the passage at 13:35

14:01 So on this one occasion which I just told an hour ago over in the reception area, I was what we call on tudong, which is where you went walking through Thailand. Report an error in the passage at 14:01 Highlight the passage at 14:01

14:19 Carrying everything you owned with you. That was such an amazing sort of experience. I always remembered everything I owned in the world I was carrying with me, walking. And of course it got less and less and less as I continued my journey. And it was such a wonderful feeling. You could sleep anywhere in the paddy fields. Report an error in the passage at 14:19 Highlight the passage at 14:19

14:43 You had a cloth you could put down, another cloth you could put under your head. A mosquito net to keep the bugs away from you. And you didn't need very much at all to live, to exist. And seeing how homeless I was at that time. I was literally homeless. I didn't have a place to stay. But I also, I knew I could always get some food somewhere if I got into trouble. Report an error in the passage at 14:43 Highlight the passage at 14:43

15:12 As always, many villagers could help me. It was a wonderful feeling of freedom. I had food for tomorrow morning in the next village. You had a place to sleep. What more do you want in life? No money, just my robes. I could walk in any village on alms round and they would recognize me, the tradition of being a wandering monk. Report an error in the passage at 15:12 Highlight the passage at 15:12

15:41 But then one day when I was walking up in the mountains, I noticed that my feet were swelling. And to me that was warned. That's a sign of food poisoning. Sorry, I got that one wrong. A sign of suffering from almost a heat stroke or from dehydration. I don't know the doctors here, if your feet really swell, it means you haven't got enough liquid in you. Report an error in the passage at 15:41 Highlight the passage at 15:41

16:15 And because I was walking in the mountains, I had no source of water. The water in my flask had all been used up. And so, what do you do? And when I got to a ridge in the mountains, I noticed in the valley there was a village down in that valley. And I noticed the village would always have a general store. I've been in Thailand for enough years at this time to know just what they would be selling in that general store. Report an error in the passage at 16:15 Highlight the passage at 16:15

16:51 One of the things they would sell, which often if you were really, really thirsty on a hot day, whoever was accompanying you or driving you would stop and get you a Pepsi. Report an error in the passage at 16:51 Highlight the passage at 16:51

17:04 I never really liked Pepsi, but it was what they would give to all the monks, you know, if they were feeling thirsty. And so I made a resolution. I wanted to make a test for the heavenly beings. That was my tradition. To ask them, if you really are there, if there really are heavenly beings and they can hear me, can I please have a Pepsi? Report an error in the passage at 17:04 Highlight the passage at 17:04

17:32 I was a good monk and I was really thirsty, dehydrated and a bit concerned about my well-being. And so that was my determination. When I went into that village, you don't go looking around and asking people. I wanted to make this a real proper test. When I went down into that village, I walked like you walk during walking meditation. Report an error in the passage at 17:32 Highlight the passage at 17:32

18:04 My eyes were just looking a body length in front of me, never to the left, never to the right, not saying anything, not speaking, just walking silently through the village. Report an error in the passage at 18:04 Highlight the passage at 18:04

18:23 I could see from the corner of my eye walking past the general store. And as I walked past it, I never said anything. And the people in the general store never said anything. I was walking quietly, never making any noise, never asking for any attention. Report an error in the passage at 18:23 Highlight the passage at 18:23

18:44 And I thought straight away, that was the test. The heavenly beings failed it. And as soon as I thought that, Then I heard this sound behind me. Someone was running behind me, and they said these words, Namoan Krap. Report an error in the passage at 18:44 Highlight the passage at 18:44

19:05 Namoan Krap was the Thai way of making an invitation to someone. They wanted me to stop so they could offer something. In Thailand, that's how they would stop a monk if they wanted to give him something. Namoan Krap. So I stopped. And looked around and of course what I saw was an open bottle of Pepsi-Cola. The guy wanted to offer me. Report an error in the passage at 19:05 Highlight the passage at 19:05

19:34 Never asked me if I wanted anything. Never asked me if I liked Pepsi-Cola. He just wanted to offer it to me. Now that was just kind of coincidence. But then another man ran up. Naman Krupp! With a second open bottle of Pepsi-Cola. And then a lady ran. That's the way that ladies make invitations, not car, but car. And so she had an open bottle of Pepsi Cola which she gave to me. Report an error in the passage at 19:34 Highlight the passage at 19:34

20:09 And then another guy, and another girl, and another one, and another one. I forget the genders now, but pretty sort of even. Until I had nine bottles of Pepsi Cola opened, presented to me. And I put them on a bench. The nine of them counted them all. And for those of you who have ever visited Thailand, what is the lucky number in Thailand? Report an error in the passage at 20:09 Highlight the passage at 20:09

20:39 Nine. Because the word nine in Thai is gao. And gao is also the same word for moving forward in life. Gaona, prosperity, forwardness. That's why it's always recognized as a Thai lucky number. Number four is supposed to be very unlucky, because that is the nickname for death, which is why if you ever go to Thailand, you'll never have a hotel fourth floor. Report an error in the passage at 20:39 Highlight the passage at 20:39

21:15 Same over in the West. Thirteenth floor? Do they have thirteenth floor in hospitals? No way. But they have lucky numbers, so I put those bottles on the bench. Sat down, I looked at them and I actually said, okay, heavenly beings, you win. You know, you are there, you're looking after me, thank you. Only ever have to me once, never again. There are such things as heavenly beings who do look after you if you deserve to be looked after. Report an error in the passage at 21:15 Highlight the passage at 21:15

21:55 So often, you know, what we have kind of achieved over so many years. years of starting a Buddhist temple, monasteries over here in Australia. How come we've had so much success over all these years? Report an error in the passage at 21:55 Highlight the passage at 21:55

22:20 We make use of that very often. I also told a story which Always inspires me, I hope it inspires you, of our nuns monastery. Did the nuns come here last week to give the talk? Report an error in the passage at 22:20 Highlight the passage at 22:20

22:42 They did? Was it a good talk? Was it inspiring? You actually see here in Perth, fully ordained female monastics. Where did that come from? I had to fight for that, literally. Not with my fists, but argue and argue and argue and argue. And once we had bhikkhunis, we had to have a place for them. And the place for them, we were looking all over the area for a good piece of land to build a nun's monastery. Eventually we got Dhammasara nun's monastery. Report an error in the passage at 22:42 Highlight the passage at 22:42

23:34 And I love... repeating to you the story of that, how it came about. It doesn't mean that one day we were looking all over the place and these two very good people, Ron and Bianca, you may remember Bianca, she used to be the manager of the retreats at Jhāna Grove, but before then she was making sure she would help us in any way which we required. Report an error in the passage at 23:34 Highlight the passage at 23:34

24:04 She was helping looking for a piece of land for the nuns. And she drove me up to Rean Road in Giddy Gannup. Not to that piece of land. Further down Rean Road, there was a piece of land, 30 acres, which they invited me to inspect. And straight away I thought, 30 acres? It may be okay for a nice house for you, but for a nun's monastery, can't we do better than that? We have 100 acres for the monks. Report an error in the passage at 24:04 Highlight the passage at 24:04

24:42 And then on the way, we saw this big sign, 583 or 563 acres, a lot anyway. And on auction, ideal solitude. And straight away, sitting in that car, I said to my drivers, Can't we go and have a look? He said, no, we can't afford it. It doesn't cost anything to look. And so I argued. And on the way back, after seeing this 30 acres of flat land, not inspiring at all, we went in there. It was on auction. Report an error in the passage at 24:42 Highlight the passage at 24:42

25:24 And so I thought, wow, this is really nice. The whole place had a big river in the middle of it, in a big area. You know, for a future community for bikinis. And they said, yeah, it's nice, but we won't be able to afford it. I love it when people say things like that. They try to put you off. So anyway, it's going to be on auction. Report an error in the passage at 25:24 Highlight the passage at 25:24

25:54 So we found out how much we could afford. And the amount we could afford at that time was only, with that boring money, $600,000. Report an error in the passage at 25:54 Highlight the passage at 25:54

26:06 This was, how many years ago was that now? Almost 20 years now? And so we told the person who's doing the auction for us. He's not here today, but that's Eddie Fernando. And I got a lot of gratitude for what he did. He didn't follow instructions. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Eddie. He followed inspiration. Report an error in the passage at 26:06 Highlight the passage at 26:06

26:38 And that's obviously what I do all the time, follow inspiration, never logic. So anyway, we went to the auction, went there a couple of hours earlier. And I was with, if you remember Ajahn Chetan Malo, he came for a visit recently. That's why I always got a lot of gratitude to him as well. He came with me early to do some chanting. Report an error in the passage at 26:38 Highlight the passage at 26:38

27:02 And my goodness, I chanted till my throat was sore beforehand. Getting all heavenly beings on board. And when the auction started, Eddie Fernando bid the 600,000, our limit. And somebody else put their hand up, 65. I thought we'd lost it. We came so close. And Eddie, our bidder, 650. And that's when our treasurer went ballistic. If you're a treasurer, you know, you feel you've got to, you know, be responsible. Report an error in the passage at 27:02 Highlight the passage at 27:02

27:44 That's why, is our treasurer paid? Yeah. Please pay, be irresponsible. You've got my full permission for that. Have the confidence and the faith. And at that time, our treasurer, not paid, but somebody else, didn't have that confidence. Report an error in the passage at 27:44 Highlight the passage at 27:44

28:06 But he bid 650, Eddie, and it passed in at 650. That was the reserve price. And that's how we got Dhammasara. Didn't really have to worry. And that's a huge success. We have a monastery for women. I hope you've all been there. If you haven't, please just drop in and have a look. It's a gorgeous place. Huge future. Report an error in the passage at 28:06 Highlight the passage at 28:06

28:36 When we got here, I think somebody told me that that is the same size, or roughly the same size, comparable. To the Vatican in Rome. So I've got big plans for that place. Report an error in the passage at 28:36 Highlight the passage at 28:36

28:55 It'll take many 20, 100 years or whatever. But, you know, looking for that future. That is the kind of thing which I love. Report an error in the passage at 28:55 Highlight the passage at 28:55

29:06 And the other thing which I love, the topic which I kind of said I would talk about today, that the other Eddie, Eddie Koo in front of me, saying those words in front, They're still there. Make peace, be kind, be gentle. He said they're very popular now. I don't know why he's just saying it now, because all that is is a translation of the second noble truth of the Buddha. Report an error in the passage at 29:06 Highlight the passage at 29:06

29:33 Sorry, no, sorry, the second fact of the Eightfold Path of the Buddha. That's what we're supposed to do. Make peace, be kind, be gentle. And to me that was important because when I first started studying Buddhism, I knew that kindness was important. Where actually is it in the Buddha's teachings? It's in the second factor of the Eightfold Path. I want to do that again. Report an error in the passage at 29:33 Highlight the passage at 29:33

30:03 The second factor of the Eightfold Path. Yeah, not the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path. And that was such an important part of how to meditate. Report an error in the passage at 30:03 Highlight the passage at 30:03

30:15 This is what we're supposed to do. Make peace, be kind, be gentle. If you follow that as a core instruction of meditation, it's amazing how powerful that is and how that makes the meditation way more effective than you thought before. Report an error in the passage at 30:15 Highlight the passage at 30:15

30:36 Make peace. How do you make peace? You don't run around, you don't tense up your mind. You don't want lots of things. You relax your body. That's the first thing I ever do when I sit down to meditate. Relax my body totally to the max. If I find any tension anywhere, I focus on that part of my body and loosen it up. Report an error in the passage at 30:36 Highlight the passage at 30:36

31:07 And this is where you have many, many wonderful side effects. Every year, once a year, This group comes to Bodhinyana Monastery for the afternoon. Once a year I go to their complex over in Cottesloe. They used to call themselves the Cancer Support Association. Now they call them Solaris Cancer Association. And they've got a big complex over there helping people who are suffering with cancer. Report an error in the passage at 31:07 Highlight the passage at 31:07

31:42 I'm very happy to look after them as best I possibly can. They keep on inviting me there. They come to Bodhinyana Monastery. They've been coming there for the last 30 or 35 years. Why? Report an error in the passage at 31:42 Highlight the passage at 31:42

31:57 Why was it when the local member of parliament, at that particular time also was the premier of Western Australia, Colin Barnett, he convinced his cabinet in giving them a whole heap of money to upgrade their facilities there. Once their facilities were upgraded, they invited, in the opening ceremony, they had two VIPs. Report an error in the passage at 31:57 Highlight the passage at 31:57

32:27 The Premier himself, Colin Barnett, and one of these other people, who was the second VIP, which was me. And I wonder, why invite me? I've never given any donations. They said, yes you have, you've given your time for so many years. Why do they keep inviting me? Because this meditation you teach here, learning how to relax to the max, you feel something inside of your body which is not usual, not normal. Report an error in the passage at 32:27 Highlight the passage at 32:27

32:59 It could be a breast tumor. It could be sort of prostate cancer. It could be anything. This meditation works. I've seen it so many times. One of those cases I love talking about. Because it's very easy to describe. There was this one guy in a retreat I gave in Sydney many years ago. And this guy, he came in and said he wasn't even a Buddhist. Report an error in the passage at 32:59 Highlight the passage at 32:59

33:32 He's come on my retreat because he had a huge tumor in his sinuses. And he couldn't breathe through his nose. And doctors had given up on him. He tried every treatment, nothing worked. Report an error in the passage at 33:32 Highlight the passage at 33:32

33:49 Stage 4, only a few months to go before death. So that's why he wanted to try meditation. And everybody knew he was really, wasn't imagining or, because he couldn't breathe through his nose. During the meditation he was making a huge amount of noise. Report an error in the passage at 33:49 Highlight the passage at 33:49

34:12 Breathing through his mouth. And people complained. Really silly, they said, can you please tell people to breathe quietly? He had a sinus in his, he had a tumor in his sinuses, he couldn't breathe. And so, I was very impressed. Everybody who was on that retreat, they stopped complaining. And they gave him so much kindness and compassion. I apologize that I complained. Thank you for being here. Report an error in the passage at 34:12 Highlight the passage at 34:12

34:49 And so, nine days is making a lot of noise. The last day, and it always happens on the last day of a retreat, of the amazing events. The reason is because you give up hope, you stop trying, you let go, you make peace, be kind, be gentle. It's amazing how people don't do that. They want to cure things rather than being kind or being gentle. They want to get rid of things using force. They don't make peace. Report an error in the passage at 34:49 Highlight the passage at 34:49

35:26 They make war with the cancer. Don't do that. So the very last day when he gave up, he came running towards me, an event I never forget, and he said that he heard a popping sound. Report an error in the passage at 35:26 Highlight the passage at 35:26

35:46 That was how he described it. He could breathe through his nose again. For the first time in months. Imagine what that must have been like for him. It was hoping against hope that this meditation might work for him. All the doctors saying there's no hope. But he actually heard a popping sound and he could breathe through his nose. Report an error in the passage at 35:46 Highlight the passage at 35:46

36:12 But then it closed up again afterwards. And all I could say because I was going to the airport was carry on. That should give you encouragement. And it was six months later, I went to Sydney to give a talk at another place. And this guy came up to me. You know what you do? You sort of kind of see me. Do you remember me, you say? I cannot remember all of you. Report an error in the passage at 36:12 Highlight the passage at 36:12

36:46 I just went over to Melbourne and there's a whole couple of hundred people over there. Before then, I was over in Indonesia and there was a few thousand people there. So I can't remember all of you. And I'm honest with you, please never get disappointed when you ask me and I say, I don't know you. Who are you sitting over there? That's the president. Report an error in the passage at 36:46 Highlight the passage at 36:46

37:19 But anyway, this guy said, no, I don't remember you. And there's another reason I didn't remember him. Because you know what it's like when a person has got cancer? They're about to die. They look sick. They look sort of, all their muscles are depleted. You look like you're going to die. So no, no, who are you? Report an error in the passage at 37:19 Highlight the passage at 37:19

37:41 And he said he was that guy. Many pops later, the tumor vanished. Doctors don't know why. He didn't want to find out. Just the fact it was gone. Report an error in the passage at 37:41 Highlight the passage at 37:41

37:56 Imagine what that does to your life when you think you're going to die. You're told you're going to be dead by your experts and you're not dead, you don't die. You find another way of dealing with it. It's like making peace, being kind, being gentle. It's hugely powerful. Report an error in the passage at 37:56 Highlight the passage at 37:56

38:16 And instead of like making peace, one of the other words which I use for that first part, of this second factor of the Noble Eightfold Path is the word let go. You've all heard that word before and that was supposed to be the main topic of the talk tonight, let go. And the reason for it was when I was just a young monk, the first year I was a monk in Thailand, in a forest monastery, I just had a bad toothache. Report an error in the passage at 38:16 Highlight the passage at 38:16

38:53 So bad that I couldn't sleep that night, so I went to the medicine cabinet to get some aspirin or something, some painkiller, and I had a big medicine cabinet in this new monastery, had a big red cross on it. I never realized why they put a red cross on it in a Buddhist monastery, but I found out afterwards, had a cross on it because there was no medicine in it. Report an error in the passage at 38:53 Highlight the passage at 38:53

39:20 It was empty. Report an error in the passage at 39:20 Highlight the passage at 39:20

39:25 So nothing to kill the pain. And I tried everything, tried to meditate, tried to walk, even tried chanting. I didn't really believe in chanting. I was a physicist, a scientist before I was a monk. But I tried the chanting, it didn't work. And so you got to this, I said this earlier, this situation. And I remember the way that Ajahn Chah used to tell me. Report an error in the passage at 39:25 Highlight the passage at 39:25

39:54 He said, you can't move forward, you can't move back, and you can't stand still. You can't do anything. You can't endure it any longer, you can't go back, you can't go forward, you can't stand still. So what do you do? And the only thing which I remembered was that simple word, let go. Two very, very short words. Let go. Have you heard that before? Report an error in the passage at 39:54 Highlight the passage at 39:54

40:28 Do you understand what it means? If you really understand what it means, you'll experience what happened to me. In real big pain, nothing was working, didn't know what the heck you can do. Let go. And the pain, honestly, accurately, I can't delude you on this one or anything, the pain vanished. Immediately, like a snap, it disappeared. Report an error in the passage at 40:28 Highlight the passage at 40:28

41:00 It was replaced with bliss. I couldn't believe that. One moment you were really in big trouble, you didn't know what you could do. The next moment, ah, so nice. Just like the bliss in meditation. That's what we mean by make peace, be kind, be gentle. It's far more effective than you could ever know. And when you learn how to do that, one of the results is you're never afraid of pain anymore. Report an error in the passage at 41:00 Highlight the passage at 41:00

41:31 Honestly. And that was one of the first times you knew how to let go. Make peace, be kind, be gentle. What does letting go actually mean? Report an error in the passage at 41:31 Highlight the passage at 41:31

41:44 You stop doing anything. How many times have you been disappointed what other people say about you? What do you do if somebody criticizes you? Can you let go? Can you let it be? A lot of times they don't understand what you're doing or why you're doing it. If you can let go and let it be, it totally doesn't affect you anymore. You let go. That's why being a monk, imagine being a monk the first time I came to Australia. Report an error in the passage at 41:44 Highlight the passage at 41:44

42:23 People had no idea what I was up to, bald head and brown robe. Report an error in the passage at 42:23 Highlight the passage at 42:23

42:30 That's why I remember one of the first days when I was loading some building material in Magnolia Street, the place where we had our first temple. Report an error in the passage at 42:30 Highlight the passage at 42:30

42:42 A 13, 14-year-old girl in the house next door came up to me and she put her hands on her hips like this and she said, you're dressed like a girl. That's sick. You know what I did? I burst out laughing. I thought it was one of the funniest compliments I've ever had in my life. Report an error in the passage at 42:42 Highlight the passage at 42:42

43:06 Later on, after I'd given a talk at a girls' school, there was a school of... In Perth, Mercedes College. Anyway, I gave a talk there and the next day I was doing some other business in the middle of town and a couple of those girls I talked to came up to me and said, how are you today? Report an error in the passage at 43:06 Highlight the passage at 43:06

43:33 And I said, they said I'd given a talk at their school the day before and I said, you remember me? And they said, yes, of course, we'll never forget you. How can you ever forget a person called Ajahn Brahm? Report an error in the passage at 43:33 Highlight the passage at 43:33

43:54 And I said, there's an M on the end. They were teenage girls having a bit of fun. I enjoyed it and laughed as well. But anyhow, when you don't worry what other people think of you, you can really relax to the max. You can let go. And you can be more at peace with yourself and the world around you. You can sleep well at night. Who are you trying to impress in your life? If it's not another person, a lot of time you're trying to impress yourself. Report an error in the passage at 43:54 Highlight the passage at 43:54

44:32 Total waste of time. Let go. What are you afraid of in life? Don't need to be afraid of anything. So many people have told me they should be dead by now. They're not. They're still alive. Report an error in the passage at 44:32 Highlight the passage at 44:32

44:52 Don't just believe what the doctors say. The doctors are good, they can help, but sometimes they can scare you to death. Report an error in the passage at 44:52 Highlight the passage at 44:52

45:03 Can I let you know that on the... Yeah, why not? On the AGM, one of the points we will have to discuss, because it's on the agenda, is that our committee members are concerned Report an error in the passage at 45:03 Highlight the passage at 45:03

45:26 That I am very popular in the world and if I get very sick and die, am I going to die? Of course one day, but not today. Or this year. But anyway, when I do die, they're worried about how can they handle all the funeral arrangements. So they want to have a subcommittee formed to actually have a funeral plan. Report an error in the passage at 45:26 Highlight the passage at 45:26

46:02 Just in case, they're being responsible. So, on tomorrow week, they're going to have a discussion about Ajahn Brahm's funeral plan. Report an error in the passage at 46:02 Highlight the passage at 46:02

46:16 Is that a good idea? I thought I wasn't involved. I suppose I have to be somewhere. One of the things which I was impressed with, already we've had so many funny stories about that proposal. It's caused so much laughter and so much jokes that I'm quite interested into hearing some more jokes about my demise. Report an error in the passage at 46:16 Highlight the passage at 46:16

46:50 But one thing which I did notice and I told them, I said about in Bodhinyana Monastery, no monk has died for such a, forever. All the years we've been operational, no monk has ever died there. So it's going to be not that easy to get rid of me. Report an error in the passage at 46:50 Highlight the passage at 46:50

47:13 So anyhow, This is one of the things which I kind of like about thinking outside the box and discussing things outside the box. And we can have a vote, if you like, on the AGM. Is Ajahn Brahm allowed to die? And I will be obedient, follow the committee. If you say no, he's not allowed to die, okay, fair enough. I'll behave. So anyhow, in all of these, stories about unlikely to die because you know how to let go. When you let go, it's amazing the health power that gives you to relax, literally to relax to the max. Report an error in the passage at 47:13 Highlight the passage at 47:13

48:08 In all the times that I've been alive as a monk here, that is my most important medicine, not just when you have a little toothache, but when you have I remember just the food poisoning when you had scrub typhus. Report an error in the passage at 48:08 Highlight the passage at 48:08

48:30 And the only other time I've been in hospital here in Perth since I came here to be a monk. I never know exactly what the disease was that I had, but I just lost all my energy. And one of our members... He was actually a committee member as well. He was a doctor. So he said, I'm a specialist. I'm in one of the hospitals close by in Rockingham. Report an error in the passage at 48:30 Highlight the passage at 48:30

49:02 He said, I can get you admitted there just to give you a good check-up. So I went there and he admitted me for six days. And I was in a ward with three other men and had my name, Ajahn Brahm. And his name, the doctor, Dr. Mendes, and his speciality. You know what his speciality was? Dr. Mendes, gynecologist. So I was in that hospital under the gynecologist. Report an error in the passage at 49:02 Highlight the passage at 49:02

49:40 I think that cured me more than anything else. Oh, the laughter when people came and saw this bug emitted under a gynecologist. Report an error in the passage at 49:40 Highlight the passage at 49:40

49:52 I never gave birth, but I walked out of that hospital totally recovered afterwards. Sometimes that happiness and the laughter, that's one of the best health benefits you can possibly have. So anyway, I've talked for a long time again as usual. Hopefully you enjoyed some of that talk and hopefully it will give you some confidence never to be afraid. Report an error in the passage at 49:52 Highlight the passage at 49:52

50:19 And learning how to make peace in your life, be kind, be gentle, and that will keep you living for a long period of life. And let's also know how to let go, which is what that means, make peace, be kind, be gentle. Let go of worry. Let go of concern. Let go of your fear of the future. Let go of being a prisoner of your past. Report an error in the passage at 50:19 Highlight the passage at 50:19

50:47 I love that idea, prisoner of your past. What did you do in the past? What happened to you? Can you let that go and be free? No fear of the future. If you can let go of fear of the future and being a prisoner of the past, wow, that will keep you really healthy for such a long time. Thank you for listening. Okay, any questions, comments or complaints? Report an error in the passage at 50:47 Highlight the passage at 50:47

51:09 you for listening. Report an error in the passage at 51:09 Highlight the passage at 51:09

51:24 It's okay that I mention that, Drew? Okay, thank you. I'm looking forward to it because I get bored by AGMs, to have something which is fascinating, original as well. Report an error in the passage at 51:24 Highlight the passage at 51:24

51:45 Of course you have to. That's your job. Report an error in the passage at 51:45 Highlight the passage at 51:45

51:56 No, it's coming. Faster, faster. We'll have to pay for you to get more exercise. Ajahn Brahm, thanks for the deep talk today. Report an error in the passage at 51:56 Highlight the passage at 51:56

52:07 I was wondering myself in my practice, you know, okay? You talk about the title of the talk should be Letting Go. Oh, yeah. And then you also talk about giving, you know? Giving? Yeah. A lot of the thing, okay, yeah. So, Ajahn Brahm, you know, the... Go on, tell me. The Letting Go, you know? Yeah. Because our problems come from our ego, you know? Report an error in the passage at 52:07 Highlight the passage at 52:07

52:37 You see that as you talk of letting go, I was thinking of the 12 Ling, the law of dependent origination. These conditions, these ceases, that ceases. So if you lower our ego, you let go of this thing, a lot of problems will go off. That is one thing. The other one is let go, is lowering our ego. And then the other one is giving. Report an error in the passage at 52:37 Highlight the passage at 52:37

53:03 Giving me, you're actually, you're letting go of the negativity and giving out, you know. So it's a complete healing thing, you know. Yeah. Two ways, you know. You go ego, she go, we all have to go. Yeah. It's a healing thing. That's what you're saying about the, how it, like the person with the nose, the cancer already, that's how, there's a lot of, like energy in us, you know, like protons, electrons or what do you call that, the thing that works, you know. Report an error in the passage at 53:03 Highlight the passage at 53:03

53:31 Oh yeah. All these things, you know, which we are not aware, you know, once we can tap the right thing, this thing, then we can heal ourselves. Yeah. It's amazing what you can do. That's why I like giving examples of how so many people do heal themselves. How? It happens, can be done, so do it. Report an error in the passage at 53:31 Highlight the passage at 53:31

53:57 Okay, here we go. Thank you. I can't sit or walk long enough to meditate. and have to lay most times. Please tell me how to meditate best like Yes, Report an error in the passage at 53:57 Highlight the passage at 53:57

54:11 you can go deep. That's what I proved for myself. I had scrub typhus about three or four weeks, and then I was laying on the bed in a hospital, really weak, really sick. I think I had a fever at that time. I still go deeply? It's not the same. Report an error in the passage at 54:11 Highlight the passage at 54:11

54:33 And then I managed to get into a deep meditation. My posture at the time, it was just how my body could be as comfortable as possible. And for me, you've seen people in hospitals and fevers, or even when you're pregnant, what you do is one foot this way, one foot that way, an arm over here, an arm over there. Report an error in the passage at 54:33 Highlight the passage at 54:33

54:56 When I came out of that deep meditation, I was really surprised. I looked at my body. I've never seen a posture like that in any book at all. You ask any so-called expert and they say it's impossible to get into deep meditation like that. No, it's not. I did it. And that was so powerful. The posture is just how you can be comfortable. Report an error in the passage at 54:56 Highlight the passage at 54:56

55:23 So your body can relax as deeply as it can and you can let the body totally go easily. And I know that's true. So yes, you can't sit or walk long enough to meditate and have to lay most time. Lay as comfortable as you can and then do the meditation. Let go of your body and get into a deep meditation. It can be done, no problem. Second question, I experienced a lot of trauma growing up. Report an error in the passage at 55:23 Highlight the passage at 55:23

55:53 It's hard to have faith in any spiritual paths. I start to question if this is true. Why did it let all the bad things happen? You know tomorrow that we're going to be talking about safe Buddhism. It is a problem which, you know, is important to me to make sure that we don't have any trauma in any sort of spiritual path at all. Report an error in the passage at 55:53 Highlight the passage at 55:53

56:22 It doesn't belong here. So we want to make sure that you have confidence. If you've had any trauma with any monks or nuns here, Please let us know. Don't hide it. You know, we're confident enough here to investigate if you wish to. In all the years I've been here, I can say I've been a good monk, never sort of harmed anybody, never sort of forced anything on any one of you. Report an error in the passage at 56:22 Highlight the passage at 56:22

56:52 The way I teach, I hope that you understand and you appreciate, is with kindness, never with force, never with shouting at you. Report an error in the passage at 56:52 Highlight the passage at 56:52

57:02 Like, how many times have I shouted at you, Venerable Pattipada? Report an error in the passage at 57:02 Highlight the passage at 57:02

57:09 Honest? And I'll really shout if you don't be honest. Report an error in the passage at 57:09 Highlight the passage at 57:09

57:18 I've seen that all my life and you don't want to compel anybody to make anyone feel frightened. My job here is to give you those techniques so you don't feel frightened. So you can actually feel comfortable in this place. You can come on a retreat and feel comfortable. You can complain if you want to. You can leave if you want to. Report an error in the passage at 57:18 Highlight the passage at 57:18

57:41 You know, there's no force on you, compelling you to do anything. So you feel comfortable here and you never feel you're being forced into anything at all. And that's even just spiritual. Especially with, we have all these rules which we have to keep as monks and nuns, so there's no possibility of any sexual misconduct. Report an error in the passage at 57:41 Highlight the passage at 57:41

58:06 And many years ago, I was going to tell this tomorrow, but it's come up now. Many years ago, after one talk I gave here, maybe 20 or 30 years ago, somebody left a pamphlet on all the cars in Nansen Way, with my photo on it. And saying, don't trust this guy. You know, he committed adultery with my wife. And that's what he said. Report an error in the passage at 58:06 Highlight the passage at 58:06

58:35 And it on the cars at night. So what did I do the next Friday night? I actually held up the photo and said, look, please, whoever it was, investigate it. And we had about five or six. of the ex-presidents sitting there and said these are the ex-presidents one of them was a woman or two were women please ask them investigate I have no fear of being investigated I'm a monk a good monk but that was an interesting case there was totally innocent I can say that but investigate me find out and because I'd been a good monk for so many years And I was trusted. Nobody actually put their name down, you know, who said that. They never actually said to any of the people anonymously. Report an error in the passage at 58:35 Highlight the passage at 58:35

59:35 So I never went anywhere. Then afterwards, afterwards I did, I say, I've got something to confess to you all. And so I made a confession. And I said, many years previously, I'm being honest with you, many years previously, I spent some of the happiest moments of my life in the loving arms of another man's wife. Report an error in the passage at 59:35 Highlight the passage at 59:35

1:00:08 We hugged, we kissed in the loving arms of another man's wife. That man was my father, his wife was my mother. We kissed, we hugged when I was a kid. Totally innocent, but I just said that to show how easy it is. People can have these doubts. But if you have any doubts at all, please let somebody else know. All of the presidents and people who've been around this place for a long time. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:08 Highlight the passage at 1:00:08

1:00:49 Prove that our kindness to you all and trustworthiness. Does that make sense to you? So please, that's why we're having this series of seminars. What you can do. You know, if you have any Buddhist organization which you have doubts you're being abused. Next question. I had my husband pass away many years ago, but I heard that he's around my daughter now since leaving her as a baby. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:49 Highlight the passage at 1:00:49

1:01:27 Is there any possibility for spirits to follow you? We are scared. Usually the spirits, the ghosts, will only last, you know, for a few years. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:27 Highlight the passage at 1:01:27

1:01:41 And the ghosts don't live forever. And a lot of times the spirits or a ghost, you know, they will only hang around because they are suffering. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:41 Highlight the passage at 1:01:41

1:01:54 So all we really need is actually to give them some kindness. Usually do that with some chanting. And to share merits with them. All I've ever found with ghosts, spirits, is they just want some... Report an error in the passage at 1:01:54 Highlight the passage at 1:01:54

1:02:18 rebirth. It's wonderful Report an error in the passage at 1:02:18 Highlight the passage at 1:02:18

1:02:40 There's nothing to do with them anymore. So just, if you even... Report an error in the passage at 1:02:40 Highlight the passage at 1:02:40

1:02:50 And I'll do some chanting for them. Share some of my merits, which are quite considerable. Give them to them. Come on, just leave this realm. Get a nursery birth somewhere. Don't make more bad karma and harm other people. Does that answer the question? Report an error in the passage at 1:02:50 Highlight the passage at 1:02:50

1:03:09 Okay, thank you. Okay, so it's now five minutes past nine. So anything else? No, good. Okay. Did you have a question or just... Don't put your hand up. Okay, so now we can bow three times to Buddha, Dharma and Saṅgha and then you can go home. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:09 Highlight the passage at 1:03:09

1:03:31 But please, if you have any spirits following you, leave them here. We'll look after them. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:31 Highlight the passage at 1:03:31

1:03:52 Dhammasambuddha Bhagavad Buddha Bhagavata Abhivadhemi Svakkhato bhagavata dhammo dhammang namassami Report an error in the passage at 1:03:52 Highlight the passage at 1:03:52

1:04:14 [chanting]

1:04:24 They Report an error in the passage at 1:04:24 Highlight the passage at 1:04:24

1:04:31 don't bow to us. Oops. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:31 Highlight the passage at 1:04:31