Where to Find Peace and Happiness

0:00 So now I usually give the talk for those who need to go to another appointment or if you need to go to toilet or if you're bored. Report an error in the passage at 0:00 Highlight the passage at 0:00

0:16 Sometimes I kind of wonder why does anybody go anywhere? Like at the end of a meditation class I don't just sit here because I have to. I sit here because I like to. Report an error in the passage at 0:16 Highlight the passage at 0:16

0:35 It's peaceful, it's calm. I want to enjoy these moments even longer. Isn't it wonderful just to be able to find an opportunity to be still and to be so still that it brings rise to just joy, happiness and comfort. Report an error in the passage at 0:35 Highlight the passage at 0:35

1:00 This is more delightful than falling asleep. The reason is because If I fall asleep, you may go unconscious for a while, but then this is, I'm enjoying it all the time, not falling asleep, being mindful, so mindful you can feel what's going on and it's gorgeous, the stillness, the silence, the body being at ease, being at peace. Report an error in the passage at 1:00 Highlight the passage at 1:00

1:32 Sometimes I wondered, if you want to have happiness in life, How could you find that happiness? Where could you find that happiness? So often, if people are waiting, they're waiting to do something, waiting to go somewhere, they're not actually really waiting in this moment. They're looking to go somewhere else, always on the move, always running away from something. Imagine when you know how just to let go enough, relax enough, You can just stay here and don't need to go anywhere to be at peace right in this moment. This moment is enough of a place to find peace. Report an error in the passage at 1:32 Highlight the passage at 1:32

2:23 Where would you like to arrange things so you don't have to think, you don't have to move, where the body is comfortable, the body is still and you've got nothing to do? Report an error in the passage at 2:23 Highlight the passage at 2:23

2:40 How many people in this world If you interrupt them and you say, what are you up to? And they really do say, nothing. Don't you want to do something? No. How many of you have given the opportunity to actually go somewhere interesting? Report an error in the passage at 2:40 Highlight the passage at 2:40

3:02 I was telling people that often as a monk, when I go and teach a retreat, like next week, I'll be teaching a meditation retreat. in a hotel outside of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. I'm teaching a retreat there. Why? Would you like to go to Angkor Wat? If you ask me, I'd say no. I don't want to go anywhere. Honestly, when I close my eyes and start meditating, I haven't got a clue where I am. I don't care where I am. Report an error in the passage at 3:02 Highlight the passage at 3:02

3:38 As long as it's safe and peaceful, that's good enough for me. Report an error in the passage at 3:38 Highlight the passage at 3:38

3:45 Why do you want to go and see these sites? They're just old sites. You can go and see them on a computer. You don't have to pay so much money for that. You don't get sort of obsessed or oppressed by other people just pushing you, pulling you. Honestly, I'm not a tourist. Report an error in the passage at 3:45 Highlight the passage at 3:45

4:04 Because what do you want to see in the world? Many places, one of the other places where I was giving a talk in a conference over in Toronto, and it wasn't that far away from Niagara Falls. And the people who had invited me said, oh, do you want to go on a free tour of Niagara Falls? Report an error in the passage at 4:04 Highlight the passage at 4:04

4:33 And I was honest, no. Why not? Why should I? It's only just water falling over a cliff. If ever I wanted to see a waterfall, I'd just... Go to Serpentine Falls. That's our own waterfall. I don't know, I've hardly ever been there. But if I ever want to see a waterfall, I just go into the shower and turn on the water. Report an error in the passage at 4:33 Highlight the passage at 4:33

5:03 Same thing. Why do people want to buy into what people sell as beauty? What is beauty? I love that sort of question. Which many people don't answer. Do you have to wear makeup to see beauty? Report an error in the passage at 5:03 Highlight the passage at 5:03

5:31 I did once. Twice in my life I've worn makeup. Am I a weirdo? In those days to go on TV. The first time was interesting that someone had arranged a Report an error in the passage at 5:31 Highlight the passage at 5:31

5:58 It's actually because I was very kind and tried to make contact with people of other religions. The Anglican Church in Perth, they invited me once, do you give good talks? Can you please give a talk in St. George's Cathedral in Perth? Okay. Report an error in the passage at 5:58 Highlight the passage at 5:58

6:28 So they invited me, not just an ordinary talk, it was a Sunday sermon at St. George's Cathedral. And apparently, the dean of the cathedral, because we got to know each other and were quite friendly, we asked him to give a talk here once. Report an error in the passage at 6:28 Highlight the passage at 6:28

6:49 That was after I gave a talk at his place. So it's only fair to invite him to give a talk at my place. Fair, fair. I gave a talk there and someone told the newspapers. And the newspapers told the TV. And the TV told Channel 7. I think it was Channel 7. And Channel 7 invited me to give an interview. Report an error in the passage at 6:49 Highlight the passage at 6:49

7:16 And because in those days, if you had to give an interview on TV live for the evening news, you had to wear makeup. Only afterwards I asked, Did anyone ever refuse to wear makeup on TV for the news? He said, yes, only one other person. And that was, I think his name, they said it was Rory Gallagher of Oasis. Do you know him? Report an error in the passage at 7:16 Highlight the passage at 7:16

7:51 You heard him? Anyway, if I'd have heard that he got away with it, I'd have put my hand up and said, me too. But the worst parts of wearing... Getting the makeup artist to put makeup on you. This was so you didn't look too white in front of the cameras. The worst part of that was Ajahn Brahmali was accompanying me. And as I was having this makeup put on me to appear on the TV, he was going, trying to embarrass me even more. Report an error in the passage at 7:51 Highlight the passage at 7:51

8:31 But it didn't really matter too much. And when we did actually do the actual gig on a Sunday, the dean of St. George's Cathedral said, as far as he was concerned, as he knew, that was the first time in 2000 years a Buddhist monk had given a Sunday sermon at a Christian church. Report an error in the passage at 8:31 Highlight the passage at 8:31

9:00 I'm kind of proud of that. But the best part of it, For those, how many of you were there at that event, Eddie? You were amazing, Eddie, at that event, because you were quiet. Report an error in the passage at 9:00 Highlight the passage at 9:00

9:17 It was packed. Not just Buddhists, but half of them were Anglican. I didn't have a clue who was who, because they were just people. Why do we call people Buddhists or Christians or anything? They're human beings. That was the nicest part. And there were so many people there. And it was, you know the way I teach, lots of stories and funny stories, they're all meaningful. Not asking anyone to believe anything, but just to make sure that you are practicing properly and kindly. Report an error in the passage at 9:17 Highlight the passage at 9:17

9:56 Is it so as Buddhists we should only be kind, you know, to people of our own religion? Of course not. You want to be kind to anybody, whoever they are, wherever they're from. Report an error in the passage at 9:56 Highlight the passage at 9:56

10:09 And that was a beautiful thing which we could teach. That's one of the stories which somebody reminded me of in Serpentine. It was yesterday. They said, you told us years ago, who is the most important person in the whole world? Who is the most important person in the world? The answer to that question... Report an error in the passage at 10:09 Highlight the passage at 10:09

10:38 It's whoever it is right in front of you in this moment. They are the most important person in the world. Don't ever give them a name and say, you know, my mother is Jesus or Buddha or something. The most important person is the one right in front of you, whoever that is. And that's so beautiful, teaching. I remember telling that at a HR conference. Report an error in the passage at 10:38 Highlight the passage at 10:38

11:10 And that was for Cathay Pacific, the airline. I used to have a lot of disciples over there, so when I went to Hong Kong, they'd always invite me there to give a talk. And the person who'd always come was the HR director of Cathay Pacific. And he actually put that into his program for all people on the desks at the airport, checking people in, checking their baggage, or making changes to their itinerary and also all the people working in the cabin in Cathay Pacific. Report an error in the passage at 11:10 Highlight the passage at 11:10

11:51 The most important person in the world is always the one right in front of you. Beautiful little sayings. Is that a Buddhist saying? Christian saying? Is that a Muslim saying? It's a beautiful saying of kindness, inclusivity. And giving that importance to whoever it happens to be right in front of you. Sometimes people would kind of criticize, doesn't that make you really, really just tired? Report an error in the passage at 11:51 Highlight the passage at 11:51

12:26 Having to give importance to everybody. And actually no, it makes you more alive. I remember when I was, you know, I went to a big university. I was over in Cambridge and sometimes you had these lecturers who were really famous and then sometimes I went up to them afterwards to ask a question and sometimes you could tell they just wanted to get rid of you. Report an error in the passage at 12:26 Highlight the passage at 12:26

12:56 They didn't want to answer the question because I was not important. I was just a young student. And I remember that with so much sadness over many years. And I've understood why it is so important. Anyone of you who comes up after this talk and asks me a question, honestly, sometimes I don't care how late it is, I would always try and answer, I don't care who you are, if you're right in front of me, you're the most important person in the whole world. Report an error in the passage at 12:56 Highlight the passage at 12:56

13:35 When you go to the shops, the shopping mall, Is that how people treat you? To give you importance? What does that feel like? That's awful. It's like you don't matter anymore. Report an error in the passage at 13:35 Highlight the passage at 13:35

13:50 And I never want ever to give that to anybody. To make sure you are important. And I try and make you important. And this is one of the reasons why that phrase, first time I started practicing that, I related to it straight away. Report an error in the passage at 13:50 Highlight the passage at 13:50

14:08 Wouldn't it be wonderful if a person, no matter who they were in this world, they could give you importance. But then of course sometimes, sometimes I'm by myself. I spend a lot of time in solitude as a monk, as many of you know, and then because I'm in solitude for such a long time, I have all this opportunity, when I'm just with me, to make me. Report an error in the passage at 14:08 Highlight the passage at 14:08

14:42 The most important person in the whole world. What do I mean by that? I mean, if you were someone really important, or you met someone important, what would you give to them? Report an error in the passage at 14:42 Highlight the passage at 14:42

14:56 Gratitude? Kindness? Love? I often say that, that all these pieces of advice which I've given over the years, such as, you know that story about... The door of my heart is always open to you. I often say that to myself. If I'm in solitude, Ajahn Brahm, the door of my heart is open to me. Report an error in the passage at 14:56 Highlight the passage at 14:56

15:29 Can you say that to yourself? How many times have you already said that to yourself? This person you've known all your life, the person you're closest to, you, yourself. Report an error in the passage at 15:29 Highlight the passage at 15:29

15:46 Can you say that to yourself? You made a mistake sometimes. Can you still open the door of your heart to your own self? Report an error in the passage at 15:46 Highlight the passage at 15:46

15:58 Honestly, it's not a small thing. It's a huge thing which you do when you have the guts, the encouragement, the time to look at yourself and say, I'm not perfect. I made heaps of mistakes. But honestly, the door of my heart, I open it. If I made a mistake, I'll learn from it. Report an error in the passage at 15:58 Highlight the passage at 15:58

16:23 And if I made a mistake to myself, I could have made a better decision. Who hasn't felt that? But what we can do is instead of getting negative to ourselves, instead of getting, ah, ah, what's it, looking for finding force with ourself, you'll know about how we punish people in Buddhism. Report an error in the passage at 16:23 Highlight the passage at 16:23

16:50 I mention that many times, punishment. What is... What does punishment feel like? It's so gross. So years and years ago, that story of that trainee, trainee monk, we call him Anagarikas, supposed to be just keeping eight precepts, one of which is not eating in the evening. He came to me early one morning, said he hadn't hardly slept all night. Report an error in the passage at 16:50 Highlight the passage at 16:50

17:25 He said, what did you do? He said, I went into the monastery kitchen. I made a sandwich. Just after midnight, I was hungry. And I ate it. I broke the rules. It wasn't just a little bit of cheese. It was a real sandwich. You know what I said to him? I've had this character all the time I've been a monk. Report an error in the passage at 17:25 Highlight the passage at 17:25

17:59 I said, Never mind. Please, maybe eat some more at lunch. And if you do get hungry in the evening, we've got things like cheese. If you're not allergic to honey, honey, chocolate. There's so many things you can eat without getting into trouble by breaking any rules. Eat those. And he said, thank you. But then he said, aren't you going to punish me? Report an error in the passage at 17:59 Highlight the passage at 17:59

18:33 I don't know, where did you learn that from, or get conditioned like that? He said, if you don't punish me, I'll do the same again. So I had no choice. Report an error in the passage at 18:33 Highlight the passage at 18:33

18:45 I had to invent a punishment for him. You know the punishment which I sentenced him to? 50 strokes of the cat. Report an error in the passage at 18:45 Highlight the passage at 18:45

19:03 I'd just been reading a book about early Australian history. They used to get this, what was it, Cat of Nine Tails. And whip prisoners in the old days. 50 strokes, that's my punishment for you. He actually did think I was... He didn't really know what a Buddhist monk was. He really thought I was going to flog him. And then I explained what 50 strokes of a cat are. Report an error in the passage at 19:03 Highlight the passage at 19:03

19:34 We had two cats in the monastery at the time. Find one of them, any one of them. Put it in your lap. And stroke it. One, two. Report an error in the passage at 19:34 Highlight the passage at 19:34

19:52 Learn some compassion. That's why you wanted to be punished. You haven't opened the door of your heart to yourself. You don't think yourself that important. Report an error in the passage at 19:52 Highlight the passage at 19:52

20:03 And after a while, that little story, which I've told so many times to so many people, if you do need, if you do have somebody, you're the boss at work, or that, you know, you're a If you're a parent and your children are misbehaved, please get a cat. One, two, there's some compassion and kindness. That teaches you much more than any pain or any sort of those negative punishments. Report an error in the passage at 20:03 Highlight the passage at 20:03

20:36 That's what I found anyway. So that this is the most important person. The door of your heart is open to yourself. If you do make mistakes, Report an error in the passage at 20:36 Highlight the passage at 20:36

20:47 Don't be someone who punishes. Be someone who knows that they make mistakes, they feel they need to be disciplined simply because they have not enough compassion to themselves. Report an error in the passage at 20:47 Highlight the passage at 20:47

21:03 And after a while you just can't do punishment anymore. Have you ever punished anybody? What did it feel like? I wish I never wanted to do that ever again. Report an error in the passage at 21:03 Highlight the passage at 21:03

21:22 Why do we want to create pain for others? People have enough pain, don't they? Do we need to make more pain for others in this world? Of course not. We want to make some of that kindness. And with that kindness and that forgiveness, that creates a much stronger bond of kindness and love. We never want to hurt anybody. So that's one of the reasons why Buddhist monks Report an error in the passage at 21:22 Highlight the passage at 21:22

21:55 You know, we should be sent over to very difficult places in the world, just to be there and just smile with kindness. So anyway, those are some of the stories. One of the other stories which I mentioned to this person, because they were Sri Lankan, they'd seen me so many years, and I told a story, I hope I didn't tell it last week, I told a story which, I really impressed on Mahinda Rajapaksa when he was the president of Sri Lanka. Report an error in the passage at 21:55 Highlight the passage at 21:55

22:40 Presidents are politicians. When what happens to a politician? What hurts them so often? I've seen this. I've known a few senior politicians in my time. A lot of times, whenever they do anything, They are scrutinized. If they make a fault, any fault, the slightest of fault, they're in the news the next day. Report an error in the passage at 22:40 Highlight the passage at 22:40

23:11 They say the politician made a mess of things. So I told President Rajapaksa years ago, I said, it's like the story of the donkey. Report an error in the passage at 23:11 Highlight the passage at 23:11

23:28 Once there was a donkey wandering in the forest. When he was wandering in the forest, he wasn't mindful enough that he slipped and fell into a well. I didn't tell this last week, did I? No good. He fell into a well. The well was dry, so he never drowned. But the donkey, because he fell into the well, he was in big trouble. How could a donkey escape? Report an error in the passage at 23:28 Highlight the passage at 23:28

24:03 He can't climb. So the donkey was at the bottom of the well, getting more and more worried. How is he going to get out? And the donkey did try and get the attention of any passer-by by shouting as loud as he could in donkey language, ee-oh, ee-oh, ee-oh. Report an error in the passage at 24:03 Highlight the passage at 24:03

24:35 I told this to the president. He was very famous at this, very well known and very well liked at the time. Eventually someone heard the donkey, and that was a farmer. And the farmer was not a good man. In fact he was so bad, he thought, I always wanted to get rid of that stupid donkey. Now he's fallen into the well. Ha ha ha. Report an error in the passage at 24:35 Highlight the passage at 24:35

25:06 But then he said, that well is dangerous. One day I might fall into it. So I better actually do something about this. I will fill up that well with dirt, the donkey as well, burying him alive. Then it won't be a danger anymore. So he got out a spade and started digging dirt and throwing it into the well. Report an error in the passage at 25:06 Highlight the passage at 25:06

25:35 Shovel full after shovel full after shovel full fell on that donkey's back. And the donkey started to realize that farmer was not trying to help the donkey, was trying to kill the donkey by burying him alive. So what did the donkey do? And this is the most important lesson of this talk. Whenever you're in trouble like that, always Get some wisdom. There's always an opportunity for insight. So the inside of the donkey was the next shovel full of dirt which hit the donkey's back. Report an error in the passage at 25:35 Highlight the passage at 25:35

26:21 The donkey didn't say anything anymore. Didn't go any eeyaws, eeyaws. Instead he just stamped the dirt in. Now shrugged it off first of all. Stamped it in. And he was an inch higher. Another shovel full of earth. Report an error in the passage at 26:21 Highlight the passage at 26:21

26:43 Stamped it and he was an inch higher. And of course, because he wasn't going Eeyore, Eeyore, the farmer didn't understand what had happened. The farmer thought he killed that stilly donkey. The donkey was just getting higher and higher and higher and higher until soon the donkey got so high he could just jump out of the well. Report an error in the passage at 26:43 Highlight the passage at 26:43

27:11 That's how he survived. And that's what I told the president of Sri Lanka. You know, it doesn't matter what you do, there's always people who criticize you. Even the Prime Minister of Australia, the Premier of Western Australia, what happens to even the President of the Buddhist Society of Western Australia who's not here today? Report an error in the passage at 27:11 Highlight the passage at 27:11

27:38 You see, you'd think he should be here today, shouldn't he? Report an error in the passage at 27:38 Highlight the passage at 27:38

27:44 But he's not. So it doesn't matter who he is or what he does. You'll always get somebody who will criticize you. And if he's listening to this, Mr. Prem, and you receive any criticism, stamp it in and then you're an inch higher. Report an error in the passage at 27:44 Highlight the passage at 27:44

28:07 It's amazing that sometimes the president enjoyed a story like that. Because it related to his life. He could understand it very simply. It wasn't just a theory. It was something practical he could do. Whenever you got any criticism in the newspapers or the TV, shrug it off, stamp it in and you get a bit higher and you don't die. Report an error in the passage at 28:07 Highlight the passage at 28:07

28:34 So those kind of stories are one of the reasons why it became interesting to go and give like a talk at a cathedral over in Perth. Interesting to actually to break those barriers. Why do you have to be a Christian? You know, to give a talk at a cathedral on a Sunday, a Sunday sermon. You know, I think that's the first time I've ever, I shouldn't say this, first time I've ever been in a cathedral on a Sunday for the sermon. Report an error in the passage at 28:34 Highlight the passage at 28:34

29:07 I didn't listen to it, I gave it as a Buddhist. Those are the kind of stories and the kind of tales which are helpful for everybody. They're not just helpful for everybody, they just break the barriers which divide people. What about between Islam and Buddhism? Report an error in the passage at 29:07 Highlight the passage at 29:07

29:36 Can we find some nice stories to actually to understand how we can join together Islam and Buddhism? Report an error in the passage at 29:36 Highlight the passage at 29:36

29:47 One of Ajahn Brahmali's favorite stories was of this mullah. You all know him, that's Nasruddin. And he was sitting outside his house one day, had a big pile of chili peppers, and he was crying his eyes out. Why was he crying? He said, I'm looking for the sweet one. Report an error in the passage at 29:47 Highlight the passage at 29:47

30:22 Have you ever come across a sweet chili pepper? One of the ones which I like. about Nasruddin and the wisdom which is wonderful. Are you ever afraid when you may have like a cancer or any other disease and the doctor tells you it's terminal? Report an error in the passage at 30:22 Highlight the passage at 30:22

30:49 How many people have you known and met when the doctors and they're very very well educated and actually says that's terminal and you're still alive many decades afterwards? Report an error in the passage at 30:49 Highlight the passage at 30:49

31:05 That was when, in this story I remember, the Nasruddin had said something which had really upset, I think, the Shah. And the Shah said, I'm terribly sorry, but you know, what you've said is just so heretical that you have to be executed. Report an error in the passage at 31:05 Highlight the passage at 31:05

31:30 And even the Shah didn't really want to execute this guy, Nasruddin. Simply because he was so much fun. But he said, I've got no choice. You have to be executed. Report an error in the passage at 31:30 Highlight the passage at 31:30

31:45 And those students thought, that's a shame. Because I've just found this magical charm which will make, please excuse me, this is according to the story, which will make your wife never argue with you ever again. Report an error in the passage at 31:45 Highlight the passage at 31:45

32:06 He said, is there a charm which will do that? He said, oh yeah, yeah, yeah. Are you sure? Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Because if it isn't, I'll have to execute you. He said, yeah, I understand that. Give me a year. Okay, I will suspend your sentence for one year. And if my wife still argues with me, then I'll execute you. I Report an error in the passage at 32:06 Highlight the passage at 32:06

32:36 don't know why I love this story. Maybe because I haven't got a wife. Report an error in the passage at 32:36 Highlight the passage at 32:36

32:47 So anyway, he walked out, and that's what he did, and said, why did you say that? You know, have you really got a charm like that, which can stop your wife arguing with you? He said, no, no, no, not at all. I was just making that up. Why did you do that? He said, well, look, one year is a long time in politics. Report an error in the passage at 32:47 Highlight the passage at 32:47

33:08 In one year, the Shah of the Iran might say something, and he may be kicked out. Or, you know, he may die a natural death. Or some other country might invade. Or the United States might send aircraft there to blow the place up. You know, if you're a leader, you can die very easily anytime. Except if you're Ajahn Brahm. Ajahn Brahm doesn't die, okay Eddie? Don't get worried. Report an error in the passage at 33:08 Highlight the passage at 33:08

33:40 So he said, I've got an extra year of life. Wonderful. Why not? So that was a wise decision. Understanding, anicca, impermanence, uncertainty, who knows what's going to happen next. So because of that, the Nasruddin got away with an extra year of his life with no problems at all. Report an error in the passage at 33:40 Highlight the passage at 33:40

34:05 That's why there's a lot of wisdom in some of these stories which I remember hearing. Even how often in these days do you complain about kids, your kids? Never listening to mum or dad. And there was this one time when his father, his son was helping him in the donkey trade. Report an error in the passage at 34:05 Highlight the passage at 34:05

34:38 He was using donkeys to actually to pull the carts to be able to transport goods from place to place. But the kid was young and so when his son Report an error in the passage at 34:38 Highlight the passage at 34:38

34:56 Driving the donkey across a bridge. If the donkey cart was leaning to the left and about to fall off the bridge, the father would say, would shout to his son, push the cart more to the left. Report an error in the passage at 34:56 Highlight the passage at 34:56

35:17 It was already leaning a lot to the left. Push it more to the left. And the son would always push it to the right. If it was leaning too much to the right, Push it more to the right and the son will push it to the left. And that way they'd always push the carts or lead the carts safely across every bridge. Report an error in the passage at 35:17 Highlight the passage at 35:17

35:42 And then one day, when the cart was leaning to the right, the father told the son, push it more to the right. And this was the first time ever. Report an error in the passage at 35:42 Highlight the passage at 35:42

35:57 That the son followed the father's instructions and pushed it more to the right and the whole cart fell over the bridge and was lost. Report an error in the passage at 35:57 Highlight the passage at 35:57

36:09 And the father said, why did you do that son? Why did you actually for the first time you did what I said? Don't you know dad, it's my 18th birthday today. I don't have to go against what you ever say. I'm a mature guy now. Report an error in the passage at 36:09 Highlight the passage at 36:09

36:30 The reason why I love that story was simply because sometimes we think that your children would always do the opposite and that's like a modern phenomena and that was I think 13th century in Iran to see that how kids don't change. So don't punish your daughter or your son too much. They're just following what's embedded in them. Report an error in the passage at 36:30 Highlight the passage at 36:30

36:59 So that means that You can live a nice peaceful life and so can your kids. You don't have to go angry, get angry. You're just doing what kids do. So that was some of the ways that we do have different philosophies in life, but they can all live happily together without any problems at all. Did you like what I said so far? Excellent. Because it's not creating more violence and problems. Report an error in the passage at 36:59 Highlight the passage at 36:59

37:30 If anybody, you don't teach violence. You don't punish, you explain and encourage and have a wonderful time. Okay, I did one day want to finish early on a talk. Report an error in the passage at 37:30 Highlight the passage at 37:30

37:49 Have you had enough? Report an error in the passage at 37:49 Highlight the passage at 37:49

37:54 Should I finish early? No? Okay, here we go, another hour. Report an error in the passage at 37:54 Highlight the passage at 37:54

38:05 Because this is a way of encouraging people, not just to come in here and learn facts. But to come in here and learn beautiful teachings so you can become a better human being. And you can spread that better humanity to everybody you meet. Now how do we spread Buddhism in our modern world? You don't do it just by shouting the teachings. Report an error in the passage at 38:05 Highlight the passage at 38:05

38:34 Each one of you, if you become a better human being, a kinder person, a more forgiving, a more generous person, Then that's actually how we spread goodness in this world, how we spread kindness in this world. Not with the power of our voice, but with the power of the teachings and how just deep they are and how profound they are. Report an error in the passage at 38:34 Highlight the passage at 38:34

38:58 All of those things which I learned as a young monk, I found them so incredibly powerful. Like, you know, as I was coming in here, you were, Rene was talking about You know, some of the new PA systems they're planning to build here. And they're noisy. I still remember Ajahn Chah teaching me, how do you deal with noise? Report an error in the passage at 38:58 Highlight the passage at 38:58

39:27 Does noise disturb you? And I can never forget how Ajahn Chah taught me. He says, it's never noise disturbs you. It's you who disturb the noise. Report an error in the passage at 39:27 Highlight the passage at 39:27

39:43 And I want you to find out what he meant by that. I mean noise, it's disturbing if it's very, very loud and discordant. How can you not disturb the noise but the noise disturbs you? This is actually where so often they had forest monasteries which think they should be quiet but What Ba Na Na Chart in Thailand, where I spent most of nine years, every now and again, they had a party, a big celebration in the village. Report an error in the passage at 39:43 Highlight the passage at 39:43

40:26 And when they had a big celebration in the village, it would usually last for three days. Okay, they get tired about two o 'clock in the morning and have a break and get up and get started again. So it went continuously for such a long time. And this particular event happened when they started to have technologically improved generators to make electricity so they could have records, noise played, and lots and lots and lots of noise. Report an error in the passage at 40:26 Highlight the passage at 40:26

41:07 And again, they would usually keep going until about 2 a.m. And at 2 a.m., I had about an hour, if I was lucky, for sleep, because at 3 o 'clock, that's when the monastery bell started. And many times, many other monks would also say, sometimes we thought to try and hide the stick which we used to beat the bell. Report an error in the passage at 41:07 Highlight the passage at 41:07

41:35 Sometimes these monastery bells, sometimes I thought, if I could actually just... Put them somewhere else so Ajahn Chah doesn't see it. Then he wouldn't know what to bong in the morning. It would be nice and quiet. And we had all these kind of plans but nothing really worked. So how can you don't allow the noise to disturb you? After a while, one of the first times I did this was opposite Hay Street Mall in Perth. Report an error in the passage at 41:35 Highlight the passage at 41:35

42:15 I always remember this. It was supposed to be some demonstration about the situation which was happening in Myanmar and how many people were losing their lives there. And it was a peaceful protest. They just wanted people to sit in meditation outside the Things Uniting Church on Hay Street Mall, opposite Hay Street Mall. Report an error in the passage at 42:15 Highlight the passage at 42:15

42:42 And they said it was going to be noisy. But could I please come along? So I joined in because it was noisy. And I wanted to test, see if this actually worked. Report an error in the passage at 42:42 Highlight the passage at 42:42

42:57 And Hay Street Mall was a very noisy place. Much more so in those days. Because in those days, the place opposite the church was time zone. Report an error in the passage at 42:57 Highlight the passage at 42:57

43:15 Do you remember time zone? It had lots of... I don't know what was going on inside video games or something, but a lot of really loud music, not just one sound, but many sounds coming out. And I was sitting right opposite that. And that was noisy. But what I did, I never reacted to it. Ajahn Chah taught me, don't disturb the noise. So I could hear the sound, but it wasn't disturbing me. Report an error in the passage at 43:15 Highlight the passage at 43:15

43:52 I never allowed it to create a reaction in my mind. It was just noise, that's all. And it does work. You can do that. The most disturbing part of the noise is when you react to it. It shouldn't be so noisy. Can't we sit somewhere else? Can't I get some headphones? Can't I do something else? Those are the noisy words because they are happening right inside of you. Report an error in the passage at 43:52 Highlight the passage at 43:52

44:27 He did ask for a funny story. You know the funny story about how not to disturb the noise? About that guy who came to Perth one day and he couldn't find a hotel, couldn't find a place to stay at night. Report an error in the passage at 44:27 Highlight the passage at 44:27

44:51 Eventually he went to one hotel and said, well look, there's no free rooms, but what we do have here There is one room with a spare bed and the guy who's already booked into that room doesn't mind if another person stays in the same room in a separate bed. But, he said, the guy snores so loudly. There's no way in the world that anyone's been able to sleep in the same room with a guy who snores so loud. Report an error in the passage at 44:51 Highlight the passage at 44:51

45:30 And this visitor said, I can do that. Are you sure? I mean, it's really loud snoring. I think I can stay in the same room. Report an error in the passage at 45:30 Highlight the passage at 45:30

45:42 How many of you know what happened? Please excuse me. It's quite funny. So he said, okay, it's up to you. So he went into that room. The guy didn't mind sharing his room. But anyhow, the following morning, when the new guy checked out, The owner of the hotel asked him, how did you go? Could you sleep last night? He said, I slept perfectly. I had a wonderful sleep last night. How on earth did that happen? Report an error in the passage at 45:42 Highlight the passage at 45:42

46:15 If it's true, you're the first person ever to sleep in that room with that snorey guy. So it's very simple. Once I could put my pajamas on, before I went into my bed, I went over to his bed, kissed him passionately on the lips. And he went back into my bed. He didn't sleep all night. Report an error in the passage at 46:15 Highlight the passage at 46:15

46:43 Please excuse me. Report an error in the passage at 46:43 Highlight the passage at 46:43

46:52 None of you were laughing. He was laughing. Good. Report an error in the passage at 46:52 Highlight the passage at 46:52

46:59 Anyway, there's always a means, a way. Never allow the noise to disturb you. And then you can sleep very, very peacefully. Okay, I think I'd better stop while I'm ahead. Only just ahead. So now, questions. Report an error in the passage at 46:59 Highlight the passage at 46:59

47:23 Oops. Report an error in the passage at 47:23 Highlight the passage at 47:23

47:30 Here we go. Question number one from India. Is it wrong to leave my job so I can meditate as lots of defilements keep arising at work? I can't stop thinking all the problems and challenges at work. You do need to work in order to have enough income to feed your family and yourself. So how can we do this? Please. Report an error in the passage at 47:30 Highlight the passage at 47:30

48:02 Whatever problems arise at work, you don't need to keep thinking about them. Thinking doesn't solve the problems. It actually makes them worse. So just keep on working but do work focusing on the work you're doing rather than thinking about the problems. Report an error in the passage at 48:02 Highlight the passage at 48:02

48:28 Is it easy to be a senior monk? Are there no problems at the monastery? Report an error in the passage at 48:28 Highlight the passage at 48:28

48:38 Of course there are. I just don't think about them. So I can do my work nice and peacefully. Is that the case? Yeah, good. Report an error in the passage at 48:38 Highlight the passage at 48:38

48:50 So don't think about the problems. Just do the work and then you can meditate afterwards. Easy. Question from Bolivia. How to overcome fear of rebirth? I take memory as me and myself. So if I reborn as a baby, I will lose all my memories of this life and this life. It's no more existing. You don't lose everything. You have what we call like inclinations. Some babies are easily scared. Report an error in the passage at 48:50 Highlight the passage at 48:50

49:20 Some babies are very happy and engaging. Where did those characters come from? You don't lose everything. You still have these, not the memories in the sense of facts, but you have many. Character traits from your past. And anyway, overcome fear of rebirth. Whether you fear or you don't fear it, it happens. Report an error in the passage at 49:20 Highlight the passage at 49:20

49:49 So, if you were reborn as a baby, I'll lose all my memories of this life and this life is no more existing. Of course this life doesn't exist after you get reborn. But it informs your future lives. How you behave in this life creates a character. For your next life. Question from Minnesota. How do we find radical acceptance for losing the life we have worked so hard to create and achieve? Report an error in the passage at 49:49 Highlight the passage at 49:49

50:21 A lot of times that you say you work hard to create and achieve, a lot of times you find it's a much better life if you don't work so hard. Report an error in the passage at 50:21 Highlight the passage at 50:21

50:35 You can relax more, enjoy more, be at peace more. Report an error in the passage at 50:35 Highlight the passage at 50:35

50:43 My father passed away last year. My mum is not well. My son is graduating from school. My other son is autistic and our money is tight. My life is stressful. I am overwhelmed. How do I live my life without stress? That's an easy question. Become a monk. Report an error in the passage at 50:43 Highlight the passage at 50:43

51:14 That's obvious, isn't it? Report an error in the passage at 51:14 Highlight the passage at 51:14

51:19 And what would happen? Your father passed away last year and you become a monk. Your father, a lot of time, his spirit, ghost, hasn't totally departed from the world yet. And he's been so proud of you. You've become a monk. Your mum is not well. And your mum, seeing that you're now a monk, the amount of chanting you can do and the power of that chant is so amazing. Report an error in the passage at 51:19 Highlight the passage at 51:19

51:48 You make her much healthier. My son is graduating from school. So you've done the best you possibly can for him and he can be inspired by you. I'm not sure what he's doing once he graduates from school, but he'll be inspired. And now his aunt and mum or his mother or father is now a monastic. Our money is tight. You don't need money as a monk. Report an error in the passage at 51:48 Highlight the passage at 51:48

52:26 If it's tight, not tight, you're fine. My life is stressful. Okay, that's cured by being a monk. I'm overwhelmed, not overwhelmed by being a monk. How do I live my life without stress? Answer given. Why do people have stress? I mentioned what that stress was when I said about the stress in the body. Two parts of the body just hurting each other because they're not relaxed. Report an error in the passage at 52:26 Highlight the passage at 52:26

52:59 Why do you get stressed at work or in life? You want things which the world can't give you. And a lot of times if the world can't give you it, we work harder trying to get these things. Do you really need those things? In monastic life, we look at what we call the four basic requisites. Report an error in the passage at 52:59 Highlight the passage at 52:59

53:28 If you can actually satisfy those, you don't need to have stress. The four basic requisites are food, just enough food to be healthy, not too much, is clothes to wear, a place to stay, and medicines and time of sickness, that's all. It's not much. Do you really need a car? Report an error in the passage at 53:28 Highlight the passage at 53:28

54:03 We make life very complicated. Report an error in the passage at 54:03 Highlight the passage at 54:03

54:09 How many years ago did very few people have cars? They used bicycles. They used public transports. And they didn't have much problems at all. Report an error in the passage at 54:09 Highlight the passage at 54:09

54:27 Food. Sometimes we have fast food these days, which is expensive. Can't we just cook up something ourselves? Clothes to wear. What clothes do you wear? And medicines for time of sickness. Report an error in the passage at 54:27 Highlight the passage at 54:27

54:48 You know, a lot of times, honestly, that... I don't have many medicines at all. When I've got sick, I haven't used medicines. So many times you have... How did I cure even scrubbed typhus? Through meditation. Not through whatever antibiotics they were pumping up inside of me, through injections. There wasn't even injections. When I had scrubbed typhus, that was... Report an error in the passage at 54:48 Highlight the passage at 54:48

55:23 First year as a monk, that was 51 years ago. And the nurse who injected me twice a day in my backside, she never injected me, stabbed. Report an error in the passage at 55:23 Highlight the passage at 55:23

55:38 Honest. Because those were the days of recyclable needles. So they used them many, many times, the same needle. And they had to stab because you could sometimes hear them sharpening them, never sharpen them enough, and bang. into your backside. My backside was so sore. Twice a day. Report an error in the passage at 55:38 Highlight the passage at 55:38

56:06 Anyway, so as long as you have decent medicines, and all the time the Report an error in the passage at 56:06 Highlight the passage at 56:06

56:14 Simple ones. Report an error in the passage at 56:14 Highlight the passage at 56:14

56:31 hospital some time ago under a gynecologist that That they did ask me, they said, did you bring your pyjamas? Is that standard what they ask you when you go to hospitals? Anyway, this was again a long time ago. And I said, I don't have any pyjamas. As a monk, I still don't have pyjamas. So I told them, it's either naked or these robes, take your choice. Report an error in the passage at 56:31 Highlight the passage at 56:31

57:06 Anyway, that's how I dealt with hospitals. Okay, now it's nine o 'clock. Is that enough? You got a question Eddie? No, it was a question to ask, yes or no, not, please give me a question. Yes, yes. Okay, well next week? No, go on, go on Eddie. Report an error in the passage at 57:06 Highlight the passage at 57:06

57:29 Ajahn Brahm, just now you mentioned about punishment in Buddhism. We know there's punishment by God in Christianity. So punishment in Buddhism, Is it when our negative karma ripens? No, any punishment you punish yourselves, no one ever punishes you. You don't have to. But when there is suffering, the suffering is from our negative karma? Report an error in the passage at 57:29 Highlight the passage at 57:29

58:03 No, it means you let go of that negativity and you learn from it. And then you can never feel of it as punishment anymore. How I learned about what I learned from, say, the scrub typhus, which is how I could meditate even in the most unpromising situations. In the middle of a fever, really sore, very weak, no energy, just digging into the deepest of meditations. That really stunned me. Report an error in the passage at 58:03 Highlight the passage at 58:03

58:44 The dharma which I learned from that. Yeah, I'm thinking, you know, like they have punishment by God, you know, the Christians, and they go to confess, you know, they confess all these things, you know, forgiveness, okay? So, like, say, for example, when our negative karma, Buddhist, you know, happens, okay? Yeah. Can we, like, keep doing good, you know, to lessen the Report an error in the passage at 58:44 Highlight the passage at 58:44

59:16 The suffering. Yes, you can to lessen the suffering. But there is also that insight, the wisdom of being a soul one, a stream winner. Then so much of that negative karma can never arise again. Report an error in the passage at 59:16 Highlight the passage at 59:16

59:35 But how do you lessen it then? Say, I'm suffering now, for example. Don't fight it. Make peace with it. Report an error in the passage at 59:35 Highlight the passage at 59:35

59:47 And it's amazing what you can make peace with. How about if you put in your effort itself, you keep doing good, you realise it, do good, avoid evil, don't think of a thing, glorify the mind. Report an error in the passage at 59:47 Highlight the passage at 59:47

1:00:03 Honestly, this is something which I've been teaching a long time now. Many people don't really understand it or accept it. When you fight, that stress makes the pain worse. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:03 Highlight the passage at 1:00:03

1:00:18 So please, if ever you are suffering, Eddie, And it really hurts. Be with it. Stay in the present moment with this feeling, which is very hard. But if you stay in the present moment, it's much less. If you really are in the present moment. If ever you start to think, how much longer has this got to go on for, then it adds pain. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:18 Highlight the passage at 1:00:18

1:00:49 If you're just in this moment, you're enjoying it now, And it's amazing in the present moment how it can totally vanish. That was one of those great insights which I had as an early time as a monk. That when you had that toothache, that was really so painful I could not sleep. And then trying everything to overcome it and then figuring out this is not working. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:49 Highlight the passage at 1:00:49

1:01:19 I stopped trying to get rid of it and let it be. Yeah, I know what you mean. But sorry, sometimes the situation becomes, it's so strong, you just can't, you know. So the thing is you have to practice like patience, tolerance and understanding, the highest virtues, everyone has to practice, knowing that things are impermanent, you have to go through it, isn't it? Report an error in the passage at 1:01:19 Highlight the passage at 1:01:19

1:01:47 This is no. This is much faster than that. Immediate disappearance. That's what really struck me. It was just, how can this happen? It was a huge pain and then in one moment it vanished, totally disappeared. I understand what you said too. And that was actually true. But why did that happen? That was the interesting part of the experience. OK. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:47 Highlight the passage at 1:01:47

1:02:17 Thank you very much. OK, very good. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:17 Highlight the passage at 1:02:17

1:02:26 Is there another question? No? OK. Let's now bow three times and put a Dhamma Saṅgha. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:26 Highlight the passage at 1:02:26

1:02:37 Oh, I did have, there's no introduction to meditation tomorrow on here. The ordinary meditation class, but no sort of beginners class tomorrow. It's the fifth Saturday. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:37 Highlight the passage at 1:02:37