0:00:01.977,0:00:07.234
Okay, so now,[br]before the talk,

0:00:07.234,0:00:09.992
those of you who want to go to[br]toilet or go outside,

0:00:09.992,0:00:14.871
you’re most welcome[br]or stay inside.

0:00:14.871,0:00:17.662
Of course, many people[br]will be listening online.

0:00:17.662,0:00:20.259
I hope.

0:00:20.259,0:00:25.216
And for a monk[br]who gives so many talks,

0:00:25.216,0:00:27.453
some to you,[br]some to monks,

0:00:27.453,0:00:31.932
some online talks[br]over to Singapore

0:00:31.932,0:00:36.222
or Hong Kong [br]or wherever, to UK…

0:00:36.222,0:00:42.472
because even though you don't [br]travel at this time because of Covid,

0:00:42.472,0:00:46.083
still, you do lots of talks [br]in many different countries.

0:00:46.083,0:00:49.588
So often I think that I’ve taught

0:00:49.588,0:00:52.558
on every subject there could be.

0:00:52.558,0:00:57.359
But this evening,[br]somebody just asked me.

0:00:57.359,0:01:02.446
And they, sort of, said: [br]‘Well, why don't you give a talk…’

0:01:02.446,0:01:03.992
Because I said: [br]‘Well, you know,

0:01:03.992,0:01:06.958
all these talks, some of the [br]talks I’ve given is on rubbish’.

0:01:06.958,0:01:09.408
‘No, you've never [br]given that talk before’.

0:01:09.408,0:01:14.302
So today's talk is [br]‘Buddhism and rubbish’.

0:01:14.302,0:01:17.355
So if anyone who complains[br]afterwards ‘that was a rubbish talk’,

0:01:17.355,0:01:20.771
I say ‘yes, great, well [br]done, you've understood it’.

0:01:20.771,0:01:24.692
Because sometimes, [br]when we talk about rubbish,

0:01:24.692,0:01:27.827
there are some times [br]that we reject it.

0:01:27.827,0:01:29.215
But as a Buddhist monk,

0:01:29.215,0:01:32.389
there's so many things [br]which other people reject,

0:01:32.389,0:01:36.723
you look at again and [br]see some of its beauty

0:01:36.723,0:01:40.418
and some of its delights.

0:01:40.418,0:01:45.553
And using the idea of rubbish,

0:01:45.553,0:01:48.807
one of the first [br]metaphors which I remember

0:01:48.807,0:01:54.052
was again from my teacher, [br]Ajahn Chah, years and years ago.

0:01:54.052,0:01:58.295
And he was the one who…[br]he knew just what would happen,

0:01:58.295,0:02:02.430
when his western [br]disciples went over to

0:02:02.430,0:02:06.866
the different countries which didn't [br]have much of a tradition of Buddhism.

0:02:06.866,0:02:11.644
And one of the things you'd always [br]have to do is actually talk to people,

0:02:11.644,0:02:13.425
be their friend

0:02:13.425,0:02:17.784
and just to listen to the [br]problems they have in their life.

0:02:17.784,0:02:19.646
And of course, [br]that happens a lot,

0:02:19.646,0:02:25.216
even though you had no, like,

0:02:25.216,0:02:29.342
lectures or education on counseling.

0:02:29.342,0:02:33.990
Nevertheless, you soon [br]became a very good counselor,

0:02:33.990,0:02:38.897
a lot of the time, because of [br]things which Ajahn Chah taught you...

0:02:38.897,0:02:43.838
and one of those things he [br]always taught us was to remember,

0:02:43.838,0:02:48.160
whenever you counsel [br]somebody, they tell you their problems:

0:02:48.160,0:02:55.122
marriage problems, life problems, [br]money problems, and all these problems…

0:02:55.122,0:02:59.204
Till this day I can't understand [br]why people ask monks or nuns

0:02:59.204,0:03:02.210
about these questions.

0:03:02.210,0:03:05.888
Number one: as you all know, [br]I have never been married.

0:03:05.888,0:03:08.169
What do I know about marriage?

0:03:08.169,0:03:13.021
Number two: I’ve never had kids.[br]What do I know about raising children?

0:03:13.021,0:03:19.328
Number three: I’ve got no money. [br]What do I know about economy?

0:03:19.328,0:03:22.110
Number four: I don't have a job.

0:03:22.110,0:03:26.140
What do I know about going to the [br]office in the morning and getting a job?

0:03:26.140,0:03:31.296
Number five: I don't have a car. [br]What do I know about driving a car?

0:03:31.296,0:03:34.732
But all these questions [br]which people ask you -

0:03:34.732,0:03:36.266
I always give an answer.

0:03:36.266,0:03:38.375
Make it up as I go [br]along most of the time,

0:03:38.375,0:03:40.564
but with some kindness

0:03:40.564,0:03:44.535
and some understanding [br]about what's really being asked.

0:03:44.535,0:03:49.277
By the end of the interview or [br]the end of the counseling session

0:03:49.277,0:03:56.771
I’ve learned something from [br]Ajahn Chah, which not many people know.

0:03:56.771,0:03:59.609
And I don't think they teach [br]you this in the universities

0:03:59.609,0:04:02.588
if you go to counseling courses.

0:04:02.588,0:04:07.488
And that was a simile, as many [br]of you may be beginning to know,

0:04:07.488,0:04:09.812
to be a rubbish bin.

0:04:09.812,0:04:16.279
This is my first simile to [br]celebrate the idea of rubbish.

0:04:16.279,0:04:17.702
Because my teacher said:

0:04:17.702,0:04:23.923
‘If ever you do any counseling, [br]listen to people's problems,

0:04:23.923,0:04:26.774
you must always receive

0:04:26.774,0:04:28.322
whatever they say,

0:04:28.322,0:04:31.004
if possible without any [br]judgment, just with kindness,

0:04:31.004,0:04:33.501
appreciating you don't know [br]why that's happened to them

0:04:33.501,0:04:35.294
or just what they're going through,

0:04:35.294,0:04:38.914
but you try and give as much [br]kindness as you possibly can.

0:04:38.914,0:04:41.822
But when they leave,

0:04:41.822,0:04:48.162
you must imagine [br]that you are a rubbish bin.

0:04:48.162,0:04:51.751
So you can actually [br]accept everybody's problems

0:04:51.751,0:04:55.161
and difficulties in life.

0:04:55.161,0:04:58.372
I don't know why they're [br]putting the rubbish into me,

0:04:58.372,0:05:00.423
I didn't do it, [br]it's not my fault,

0:05:00.423,0:05:02.990
but please accept that rubbish.

0:05:02.990,0:05:07.157
But the most important part of [br]that simile is what he added in the end.

0:05:07.157,0:05:10.047
‘But please make sure [br]you always imagine yourself

0:05:10.047,0:05:15.367
to be a rubbish bin [br]with a hole in the bottom.

0:05:15.367,0:05:20.388
So, what anybody tells you,[br]whatever they put in you,

0:05:20.388,0:05:25.884
it goes right through [br]and you don't keep any of it.'

0:05:25.884,0:05:29.227
That was the most [br]wonderful part of that simile.

0:05:29.227,0:05:30.647
So it means

0:05:30.647,0:05:33.817
that after people tell you some [br]terrible things which happened

0:05:33.817,0:05:36.328
and really difficult problems,

0:05:36.328,0:05:39.479
first of all I would worry [br]about that ‘oh, what can I do,

0:05:39.479,0:05:41.792
I must do something to help them’.

0:05:41.792,0:05:46.429
And then afterwards,[br]you get full.

0:05:46.429,0:05:49.784
So when the next person came, [br]you wouldn't be able to listen to them,

0:05:49.784,0:05:52.647
you'd be thinking [br]about the last person.

0:05:52.647,0:05:56.425
And you’d soon [br]be a full rubbish bin

0:05:56.425,0:05:59.336
overflowing with trash.

0:05:59.336,0:06:00.598
But instead,

0:06:00.598,0:06:03.724
if you’re a rubbish bin [br]with a hole in the bottom,

0:06:03.724,0:06:07.662
whatever you tell me, [br]whatever you complain about,

0:06:07.662,0:06:11.934
whatever you disclose to me[br]about the difficulties of your life,

0:06:11.934,0:06:14.225
it just goes right inside

0:06:14.225,0:06:18.407
and goes right through and [br]afterwards there's nothing in there.

0:06:18.407,0:06:21.696
I’m a rubbish bin [br]with a hole in the bottom.

0:06:21.696,0:06:24.231
So always empty to receive

0:06:24.231,0:06:30.178
the next piece of rubbish [br]you want to donate to me.

0:06:30.178,0:06:32.316
That's a wonderful little thing

0:06:32.316,0:06:37.298
that the idea of being [br]a rubbish bin is not keeping anything.

0:06:37.298,0:06:41.567
Being able to [br]discard things, being able to…

0:06:41.567,0:06:45.779
It's not just [br]polluting the planet.

0:06:45.779,0:06:47.710
This is almost like a metaphor

0:06:47.710,0:06:50.876
that everything which we [br]use eventually breaks down,

0:06:50.876,0:06:53.552
goes back to the [br]soil or goes back to…

0:06:53.552,0:06:57.739
All of the difficulties of your life too,

0:06:57.739,0:07:00.726
don't last.[br]They're all anicca.

0:07:00.726,0:07:04.420
They fade away [br]and other things happen.

0:07:04.420,0:07:08.042
And because I’ve been [br]here for long enough now,

0:07:08.042,0:07:12.356
37, 38 years now in this place,

0:07:12.356,0:07:14.506
46 years as a monk…

0:07:14.506,0:07:18.033
So much you can see, it doesn't last.

0:07:18.033,0:07:21.687
Dhammasara - [br]when did we build that?

0:07:21.687,0:07:25.149
It doesn't last.[br][laughter]

0:07:25.149,0:07:28.125
One day it's gonna fade away.

0:07:28.125,0:07:30.808
Same with Bodhinyana [br]monastery, it fades away.

0:07:30.808,0:07:33.029
But it's worth making.

0:07:33.029,0:07:35.611
It's one thing which [br]I love telling people,

0:07:35.611,0:07:41.746
because it was… I think I told [br]people this in the Dana last week.

0:07:41.746,0:07:49.443
On 31st of January 2000…[br]no sorry, 31st of January, 1991.

0:07:49.443,0:07:53.677
That was when we had our big bushfire,[br]big ground fire on the hottest day ever,

0:07:53.677,0:08:02.010
at the time in West Australia.[br]46 degrees, 46 degrees - that's hot.

0:08:02.010,0:08:04.574
That was before the fire came.

0:08:04.574,0:08:06.345
When the fire came,

0:08:06.345,0:08:09.334
it came right through our monastery.

0:08:09.334,0:08:12.184
As the trees exploded.

0:08:12.184,0:08:13.577
But anyway,

0:08:13.577,0:08:18.614
we were forced to evacuate, when the [br]fire was happening, all ready to defend.

0:08:18.614,0:08:23.603
We had all the… [br]fire pumps going,

0:08:23.603,0:08:26.661
but we were told we had to leave.

0:08:26.661,0:08:31.724
When we did leave, [br]I saw those trees exploding

0:08:31.724,0:08:36.542
and you could feel that [br]this was an incredibly hot fire.

0:08:36.542,0:08:38.697
And Bodhinyana Monastery,

0:08:38.697,0:08:41.274
I thought was gone.

0:08:41.274,0:08:44.050
I honestly thought that.

0:08:44.050,0:08:49.451
But the following morning,[br]we were taken back there,

0:08:49.451,0:08:53.159
to see all of the [br]huts were still there.

0:08:53.159,0:08:57.147
All of the huts are [br]still at Dhammasara.

0:08:57.147,0:09:02.981
All of the halls and [br]dining halls at Dhammasara.

0:09:02.981,0:09:07.386
The only thing which is [br]not at Dhammasara is you.

0:09:07.386,0:09:09.763
The nuns.[br][laughter]

0:09:09.763,0:09:13.632
But they'll come back [br]again, in a day or two.

0:09:13.632,0:09:19.927
But what was amazing was [br]that you could let things go.

0:09:19.927,0:09:22.551
Because it wasn't having the monastery

0:09:22.551,0:09:26.389
or the facilities which was important.

0:09:26.389,0:09:30.077
It was actually having the spirit,

0:09:30.077,0:09:34.847
having the opportunity to serve and build

0:09:34.847,0:09:40.163
a very… honestly, I mention this, [br]because it was absolutely true.

0:09:40.163,0:09:43.999
That even though I thought [br]everything was going to be burnt down,

0:09:43.999,0:09:46.067
you went there the next day,

0:09:46.067,0:09:48.597
knowing ‘Well, [br]let's build it up again.'

0:09:48.597,0:09:50.367
'Let's do it again.'

0:09:50.367,0:09:53.868
Because it was the action which [br]was more important than the results.

0:09:53.868,0:09:55.726
The service.

0:09:55.726,0:09:57.658
Because you can see that in nature

0:09:57.658,0:10:00.803
that things do eventually fall down.

0:10:00.803,0:10:02.598
They do get old,

0:10:02.598,0:10:04.465
they do get rubbishy

0:10:04.465,0:10:06.105
like Ajahn Brahm.

0:10:06.105,0:10:08.383
I’m getting much older than I used to be.

0:10:08.383,0:10:11.676
People just showed me these photographs

0:10:11.676,0:10:14.818
when I used to be able to go [br]on top of roofs and fix them up.

0:10:14.818,0:10:17.851
Now monks say, if [br]I get on top of the roof,

0:10:17.851,0:10:23.259
the roof will buckle.[br][laughter]

0:10:23.259,0:10:28.093
You know, Venerable Sunyo, just next[br]to my room, the place where I stay,

0:10:28.093,0:10:30.555
there's lots and lots [br]of twigs in the gutter.

0:10:30.555,0:10:33.521
I thought of getting up on [br]the roof and taking them out.

0:10:33.521,0:10:38.301
But I thought twice. ‘No, [br]it's better to keep the roof…

0:10:38.301,0:10:42.977
unharmed'.[br][laughter]

0:10:42.977,0:10:44.242
But anyway.

0:10:44.242,0:10:46.689
In the old days, I would [br]get up there and do stuff.

0:10:46.689,0:10:50.098
But you can see just how to get…

0:10:50.098,0:10:51.640
things like old age.

0:10:51.640,0:10:53.672
Things start to decay.

0:10:53.672,0:10:58.779
There's something beautiful [br]about the decaying part of nature.

0:10:58.779,0:11:03.115
Things like turning into rubbish.[br]What was really important to you,

0:11:03.115,0:11:05.261
what was really precious,

0:11:05.261,0:11:08.487
eventually fades away and disappears.

0:11:08.487,0:11:13.465
Its importance is temporary.

0:11:13.465,0:11:15.095
And everything

0:11:15.095,0:11:18.958
which I cherished, which [br]I owned, which I loved and cared for,

0:11:18.958,0:11:22.035
things like your family,

0:11:22.035,0:11:23.608
they're temporary.

0:11:23.608,0:11:26.993
It doesn't mean you don't care for [br]them - you care for them to the max,

0:11:26.993,0:11:29.348
knowing that they’re not [br]always gonna be here.

0:11:29.348,0:11:31.754
And when they do pass away,

0:11:31.754,0:11:34.836
that was a beautiful time spent.

0:11:34.836,0:11:37.914
You enjoyed each [br]other's company so much.

0:11:37.914,0:11:39.249
Thank you.

0:11:39.249,0:11:44.002
And you know, that's that [br]old simile which I say a lot of…

0:11:44.002,0:11:48.313
When you go to concerts.

0:11:48.313,0:11:51.252
A concert being [br]held here next week.

0:11:51.252,0:11:53.714
Beautiful, beautiful concerts.

0:11:53.714,0:11:56.628
They will never last.

0:11:56.628,0:11:58.921
In fact, if they did last,

0:11:58.921,0:12:02.131
then, there'd be

0:12:02.131,0:12:05.908
something unbeautiful about them.

0:12:05.908,0:12:09.123
There'd be something which, [br]after a while, you get bored.

0:12:09.123,0:12:11.631
After a while, you turn away anyway,

0:12:11.631,0:12:14.075
to go see something different.

0:12:14.075,0:12:18.308
But there’s something about [br]those great concerts, very short,

0:12:18.308,0:12:21.351
and when it's finished, you feel just...

0:12:21.351,0:12:23.493
grateful.

0:12:23.493,0:12:26.881
Grateful to have been there

0:12:26.881,0:12:30.151
and enjoy that great performance.

0:12:30.151,0:12:33.343
You know that they will turn to dust.

0:12:33.343,0:12:36.830
But nevertheless, [br]it's important to be there.

0:12:36.830,0:12:40.794
And enjoy it [br]while it's happening.

0:12:40.794,0:12:44.031
Knowing that you'll have to let it go.

0:12:44.031,0:12:45.792
And move away.

0:12:45.792,0:12:49.597
And much of this, you can find that

0:12:49.597,0:12:53.105
when we understand [br]the whole idea of rubbish,

0:12:53.105,0:12:56.838
things which have [br]used are no longer usable.

0:12:56.838,0:12:59.547
It has a use.

0:12:59.547,0:13:02.134
Rubbish is… obviously, [br]people recycle rubbish,

0:13:02.134,0:13:06.181
I’m not gonna go into that, [br]because that's talked about a lot.

0:13:06.181,0:13:09.901
But whenever we do have rubbish, [br]we know that whatever we use,

0:13:09.901,0:13:14.458
will one day just be thrown away.

0:13:14.458,0:13:16.992
Is that bad?

0:13:16.992,0:13:21.752
There was… For those of you [br]who are traditional Buddhists,

0:13:21.752,0:13:27.478
this is one story about [br]this monk, Chulapantaka.

0:13:27.478,0:13:29.480
This was in the time of the Buddha.

0:13:29.480,0:13:33.077
that his brother [br]was fully enlightened,

0:13:33.077,0:13:37.062
but his younger brother, [br]this guy Chulapantaka,

0:13:37.062,0:13:43.224
was very... intellectually challenged.

0:13:43.224,0:13:49.351
He couldn't really learn [br]much theory or teachings.

0:13:49.351,0:13:53.407
And he was finding very [br]difficult to meditate, at first.

0:13:53.407,0:13:56.484
But what his brother gave him - [br]was it the Buddha or his brother -

0:13:56.484,0:13:58.818
gave him just a piece of cloth.

0:13:58.818,0:14:02.131
Just told him to keep rubbing the cloth.

0:14:02.131,0:14:06.097
And so this is what this younger [br]brother did, just kept rubbing the cloth,

0:14:06.097,0:14:09.495
until the cloth became quite dirty.

0:14:09.495,0:14:14.787
And he kept on rubbing it, [br]until the cloth started to...

0:14:14.787,0:14:16.898
to be frailed.

0:14:16.898,0:14:20.502
And kept on wearing,[br]until it started to break down.

0:14:20.502,0:14:21.347
His brother said

0:14:21.347,0:14:25.900
‘That's the nature of all the [br]things which we hold dear to in life.

0:14:25.900,0:14:27.939
Through use,

0:14:27.939,0:14:29.724
through association,

0:14:29.724,0:14:31.311
over time,

0:14:31.311,0:14:32.714
it all tends to

0:14:32.714,0:14:34.531
disappear and vanish.

0:14:34.531,0:14:36.881
And turn into rubbish.

0:14:36.881,0:14:40.099
Just like the most [br]beautiful things in Bodhinyana.

0:14:40.099,0:14:42.618
Maybe not in my lifetime,

0:14:42.618,0:14:44.764
but all those huts…

0:14:44.764,0:14:47.911
I was quite stupid when [br]I started building those huts.

0:14:47.911,0:14:50.651
I wanted to make them permanent.

0:14:50.651,0:14:54.439
Do them well, do them once,[br]so you don't have to do it again.

0:14:56.999,0:15:00.014
I thought just build these[br]things and it's all finished,

0:15:00.014,0:15:02.538
no other monk will [br]have to bother about it.

0:15:02.538,0:15:04.705
But of course, that's [br]not the nature of life.

0:15:04.705,0:15:08.187
They tend to start to fall apart.

0:15:08.187,0:15:12.268
Or if they don't fall apart, [br]just fashions fall apart.

0:15:12.268,0:15:15.875
In other words, no, the windows are [br]too small, we want to make them bigger.

0:15:15.875,0:15:20.062
No, no, we don't want a brick wall, [br]we want a whitewashed wall.

0:15:20.062,0:15:23.426
No, we don't want it this [br]way, we want it that way.

0:15:23.426,0:15:25.261
And so,

0:15:25.261,0:15:30.168
often even Bodhinyana monastery[br]and Dhammasara monastery, as you know;

0:15:30.168,0:15:34.263
when people would come [br]and they said: ‘Is it finished yet?’

0:15:34.263,0:15:36.692
And I would say: ‘No’.

0:15:36.692,0:15:40.313
‘Well, you’ve got all the huts there, [br]you've got all the dining room there,

0:15:40.313,0:15:43.638
you've got the meditation [br]room; is it finished yet?!’

0:15:43.638,0:15:47.840
Never finished, no, they keep going on, [br]there’ll always be building something new.

0:15:47.840,0:15:50.488
That's what's happened [br]at Bodhinyana monastery.

0:15:50.488,0:15:52.500
We've been going much longer.

0:15:52.500,0:15:55.157
Thirty-six years, [br]‘Is it finished yet?!’

0:15:55.157,0:15:56.076
Venerable Sunyo?

0:15:56.076,0:15:59.182
'No way.'

0:15:59.182,0:16:02.258
And this is actually our life.

0:16:02.258,0:16:04.475
Things don't get finished.

0:16:04.475,0:16:05.581
They get built,

0:16:05.581,0:16:07.740
they get worn away,

0:16:07.740,0:16:09.231
they turn to rubbish

0:16:09.231,0:16:11.768
and they get rebuilt.

0:16:11.768,0:16:14.888
For those of you who [br]have been to old countries,

0:16:14.888,0:16:17.117
I remember just…

0:16:17.117,0:16:20.866
Well, you know, [br]I was born in London.

0:16:20.866,0:16:25.091
And that London [br]is built on rubbish.

0:16:25.091,0:16:27.342
It's rubbish upon rubbish upon rubbish.

0:16:27.342,0:16:29.273
And when people [br]actually do excavations

0:16:29.273,0:16:35.147
to put foundations in [br]to another big building,

0:16:35.147,0:16:40.019
they always come across [br]the rubbish of old generations.

0:16:40.019,0:16:44.088
Sometimes a hundred, two hundred,[br]five hundred, a thousand years of age.

0:16:44.088,0:16:46.536
And even longer than that.

0:16:46.536,0:16:49.535
Because that's what happens.

0:16:49.535,0:16:52.044
Life creates that rubbish.

0:16:52.044,0:16:53.943
And that rubbish [br]becomes the foundation

0:16:53.943,0:16:58.920
on which new buildings, [br]new culture is made.

0:16:58.920,0:17:01.378
Without that rubbish

0:17:01.378,0:17:04.360
of past generations,

0:17:04.360,0:17:06.491
our generation wouldn't have

0:17:06.491,0:17:11.631
the foundations on which to grow.

0:17:11.631,0:17:14.105
And live.

0:17:14.105,0:17:18.676
And sometimes [br]that history, history is just…

0:17:18.676,0:17:22.667
Our grandparents' rubbish.

0:17:22.667,0:17:26.111
All the things which they did and [br]use, which was so important to them,

0:17:26.111,0:17:30.529
which wore out and new [br]things were built afterwards.

0:17:30.529,0:17:35.579
Sometimes, that… [br]that is not disrespect.

0:17:35.579,0:17:38.141
But it's always like building

0:17:38.141,0:17:39.718
on what other people have done.

0:17:39.718,0:17:41.790
And that is the same

0:17:41.790,0:17:45.140
just even with ideas

0:17:45.140,0:17:47.022
and teachings.

0:17:47.022,0:17:52.693
So often, even in teaching [br]about Buddhism, about meditation,

0:17:52.693,0:17:55.881
you know – yes, we [br]have the old teachings

0:17:55.881,0:17:58.979
which you can read and understand.

0:17:58.979,0:18:01.648
From even the time of the Buddha.

0:18:01.648,0:18:07.163
About how these things worked [br]and how meditation was taught.

0:18:07.163,0:18:08.678
But,

0:18:08.678,0:18:12.231
can we improve on that?

0:18:12.231,0:18:13.922
Of course.

0:18:13.922,0:18:15.605
You know we can.

0:18:15.605,0:18:18.587
In the time of the Buddha[br]that people would have...

0:18:18.587,0:18:25.139
they wouldn't have zafus like you have[br]these days, they'd just get some grass.

0:18:25.139,0:18:28.345
But can we improve[br]upon those zafus?

0:18:28.345,0:18:31.304
I've often mentioned this,[br]it'd be a great opportunity

0:18:31.304,0:18:35.097
for anybody who wishes to

0:18:35.097,0:18:42.079
innovate and get[br]a lovely new business.

0:18:42.079,0:18:43.887
Look at the meditation cushions

0:18:43.887,0:18:45.248
you're sitting on right now

0:18:45.248,0:18:46.788
or the chairs.

0:18:46.788,0:18:51.043
These are just so old-fashioned.

0:18:51.043,0:18:53.091
And imagine having...

0:18:53.091,0:18:55.496
We live in a world of high-tech.

0:18:55.496,0:19:00.623
Can't we get high-tech[br]meditation cushions?

0:19:00.623,0:19:03.465
And once you start [br]thinking like that...

0:19:03.465,0:19:08.265
Basically, I got this idea[br]from this guy over in Singapore.

0:19:08.265,0:19:11.240
This guy in Singapore,[br]he was a designer.

0:19:11.240,0:19:14.644
One of his great claims to fame

0:19:14.644,0:19:18.377
was actually designing [br]dresses for Princess Diana

0:19:18.377,0:19:20.981
when she was still alive.

0:19:20.981,0:19:23.316
He designed a couple of her dresses.

0:19:23.316,0:19:27.070
So he was obviously a very[br]smart guy living in Singapore.

0:19:27.070,0:19:30.782
And his latest idea,[br]when I saw him years ago,

0:19:30.782,0:19:34.998
was like designer [br]Zimmer frames.

0:19:34.998,0:19:38.523
If you think about it, you know the[br]Zimmer frames which elderly people use,

0:19:38.523,0:19:42.221
many of those elderly [br]people are cashed-up.

0:19:42.221,0:19:44.974
So to get like a [br]designer Zimmer frame,

0:19:44.974,0:19:47.329
you know, that'll be in their budget

0:19:47.329,0:19:51.412
and you make a lot of money that way.

0:19:51.412,0:19:54.270
Was that exploitation[br]or was it just smart thinking?

0:19:54.270,0:19:57.329
Designer Zimmer frames.

0:19:57.329,0:19:59.026
I don't know, but

0:19:59.026,0:20:01.443
anyway, that...

0:20:01.443,0:20:04.278
Please excuse me,[br]I can't resist this one.

0:20:04.278,0:20:06.756
I was just saying [br]today, because Dhammasara

0:20:06.756,0:20:09.972
had that... what do you call that...

0:20:09.972,0:20:12.938
where you make donations at Dhammasara?

0:20:12.938,0:20:15.966
'Cashless donations',[br]that little thing over there

0:20:15.966,0:20:17.743
you just put a credit card on,

0:20:17.743,0:20:21.323
and it puts money [br]into Dhammasara.

0:20:21.323,0:20:23.321
They're just trying it out over here.

0:20:23.321,0:20:24.389
But I say,

0:20:24.389,0:20:26.932
that please, if anyone has

0:20:26.932,0:20:29.180
Parkinson's disease,

0:20:29.180,0:20:30.627
please be careful.[br](laughter)

0:20:35.439,0:20:38.014
About 20-30 taps,[br]when you only meant one.

0:20:38.014,0:20:40.765
And that's your bank balance gone.

0:20:44.715,0:20:49.072
Alzheimer's also, yes.

0:20:49.072,0:20:50.531
Did you put a donation in,

0:20:50.531,0:20:51.365
Lawrence?

0:20:51.365,0:20:54.336
Are you sure?

0:20:54.336,0:20:56.777
Alzheimer's... did I[br]put it in, I'm not sure.

0:20:56.777,0:20:58.401
Anyway.

0:20:58.401,0:21:01.551
It's ok, we won't[br]exploit you, maybe.

0:21:01.551,0:21:03.660
But anyway.

0:21:03.660,0:21:06.422
For zafus.

0:21:06.422,0:21:08.586
Why do we just have this

0:21:08.586,0:21:11.105
fluff inside there?

0:21:11.105,0:21:12.936
Because if you [br]have designer zafus,

0:21:12.936,0:21:14.994
you know, with IT.

0:21:14.994,0:21:16.394
First of all,

0:21:16.394,0:21:18.015
you know, you [br]can actually adjust,

0:21:18.015,0:21:20.189
they have different [br]compartments to the zafu,

0:21:20.189,0:21:21.948
so if your back needs lifting,

0:21:21.948,0:21:23.601
you can just press one button

0:21:23.601,0:21:25.703
and the back lifts up.

0:21:25.703,0:21:28.604
If your knee is a bit sore,

0:21:28.604,0:21:31.859
the other part lifts up, [br]so your knee can lift up.

0:21:31.859,0:21:34.610
If it really is sore,[br]it can give it a massage,

0:21:34.610,0:21:37.587
like on those massage [br]chairs you can sit on,

0:21:37.587,0:21:40.739
so your knee gets a good[br]massage while you're meditating.

0:21:40.739,0:21:42.831
If you're too hot...

0:21:42.831,0:21:44.722
sometimes who [br]knows what we can put,

0:21:44.722,0:21:47.098
the temperature on there,[br]the aircons are on today,

0:21:47.098,0:21:48.442
but sometimes it's hot here,

0:21:48.442,0:21:49.898
sometimes it's cold here.

0:21:49.898,0:21:53.119
If it's really cold, you can[br]get these blows of hot air

0:21:53.119,0:21:54.822
coming up your [br]body to warm you up

0:21:54.822,0:21:58.076
and if it's too hot, you can[br]get some coolness in there,

0:21:58.076,0:21:59.468
if you have sloth and torpor,

0:21:59.468,0:22:01.089
really tired,

0:22:01.089,0:22:03.895
which many people have after[br]coming here after day's work

0:22:03.895,0:22:04.710
or week's work

0:22:04.710,0:22:07.609
and you come here for [br]Friday night and you're half-asleep,

0:22:07.609,0:22:14.348
you can press another [br]little button for a coffee.

0:22:14.348,0:22:16.965
Or if you like tea, [br]tea or cappuccino,

0:22:16.965,0:22:19.063
you can have all [br]sorts of buttons on there.

0:22:19.063,0:22:22.916
Like a high-tech[br]meditation cushion.

0:22:22.916,0:22:28.546
I'm sure there's so many[br]wealthy people over in USA

0:22:28.546,0:22:33.812
who meditate, that you[br]would make a fortune.

0:22:33.812,0:22:36.856
Is that a good idea?

0:22:36.856,0:22:37.605
Anyway.

0:22:37.605,0:22:38.975
How did we get on to that,

0:22:38.975,0:22:42.240
it's supposed to be a talk on [br]rubbish, not about making a fortune.

0:22:42.240,0:22:43.946
Is money rubbish?

0:22:43.946,0:22:45.138
[Yes]

0:22:45.138,0:22:46.100
Really?

0:22:46.100,0:22:48.990
So we have a rubbish bin[br]at the back over there.

0:22:48.990,0:22:50.471
For your rubbish.

0:22:50.471,0:22:51.187
Now, is it?

0:22:51.187,0:22:54.259
That was another thing[br]which Ajahn Chah used to teach.

0:22:54.259,0:22:56.244
You know.

0:22:56.244,0:23:00.524
Sometimes people asked,[br]'Did Ajahn Chah make any predictions?'

0:23:00.524,0:23:02.959
Telling the future. [br]He actually did,

0:23:02.959,0:23:05.314
a couple of times.

0:23:05.314,0:23:08.306
And this prediction,[br]I was there when he made it.

0:23:08.306,0:23:11.590
He, sort of, said:[br]'In the future,

0:23:11.590,0:23:18.621
they will run out of paper [br]to make banknotes.

0:23:18.621,0:23:20.499
They won't have enough paper left.

0:23:20.499,0:23:22.559
They're cutting down too many trees.

0:23:22.559,0:23:25.902
And they will not... they'll run out[br]of metal, like silver or gold

0:23:25.902,0:23:29.212
to make coins.

0:23:29.212,0:23:33.308
So they'll have to find [br]something else to use for money.'

0:23:33.308,0:23:37.231
And what he said, what [br]they'd use for money in the future –

0:23:37.231,0:23:41.520
these little balls of chicken poo.

0:23:41.520,0:23:43.501
Okay – chicken shit.

0:23:43.501,0:23:45.950
You know the little balls[br]you see of chicken shit?

0:23:45.950,0:23:47.684
So that's what they'll pay you in,

0:23:47.684,0:23:51.545
after you go to work for the week.

0:23:51.545,0:23:53.091
Hundred pellets of chicken shit

0:23:53.091,0:23:54.856
for all your hard work.

0:23:54.856,0:23:57.476
And you'd really ask [br]for a rise in chicken shit,

0:23:57.476,0:24:00.630
because you're not getting[br]enough to feed your family.

0:24:00.630,0:24:04.130
And you go to the bank, and you [br]won't be putting money in the bank,

0:24:04.130,0:24:07.025
but little pellets of[br]chicken poo in the bank.

0:24:07.025,0:24:13.252
And the IMF would become[br]the International Manure Fund.

0:24:13.252,0:24:18.942
What's the difference[br]between chicken shit and money?

0:24:18.942,0:24:22.553
Only the value you put on it.

0:24:22.553,0:24:24.506
That's the only difference.

0:24:24.506,0:24:28.200
And so he predicted[br]people will be fighting wars

0:24:28.200,0:24:30.078
over chicken shit.

0:24:30.078,0:24:33.449
Who makes the most...

0:24:33.449,0:24:36.409
And looking at the economy

0:24:36.409,0:24:42.121
as how much more chicken shit[br]we can make in our different countries.

0:24:42.121,0:24:45.414
But that was something [br]which was quite challenging,

0:24:45.414,0:24:47.988
because it had some truth to it.

0:24:47.988,0:24:51.540
All this stuff which we value,

0:24:51.540,0:24:54.877
what's its difference between rubbish?

0:24:54.877,0:24:58.016
Only the value which we give to it.

0:24:58.016,0:24:59.602
It's the same with

0:24:59.602,0:25:02.832
so much other stuff we have.

0:25:02.832,0:25:06.903
One of the great advantages I found

0:25:06.903,0:25:10.833
with being a Buddhist monk [br]is we can be rebellious,

0:25:10.833,0:25:12.534
we challenge

0:25:12.534,0:25:15.986
what is means to be [br]comfortable and happy.

0:25:15.986,0:25:18.792
What it means to be rich.

0:25:18.792,0:25:21.673
Many of you know where I live:

0:25:21.673,0:25:24.283
in a cave, there's hardly anything there.

0:25:24.283,0:25:27.432
And honestly, I'm so [br]happy in that little cave.

0:25:27.432,0:25:29.714
It's quiet, it's cool,

0:25:29.714,0:25:32.448
I get some great meditation there.

0:25:32.448,0:25:37.782
How many of you would like to live there?[br](silence)

0:25:37.782,0:25:39.545
A few people, yes.

0:25:39.545,0:25:42.185
So you go and build yourself one.

0:25:42.185,0:25:44.508
It's much cheaper[br]than the house you live in.

0:25:44.508,0:25:46.651
Or the apartment you live in.

0:25:46.651,0:25:48.154
Or whatever else you live in.

0:25:48.154,0:25:50.781
Just get a nice cave.[br]But, you know, the trouble is

0:25:50.781,0:25:53.621
that we're not allowed to build caves.

0:25:53.621,0:25:58.753
Because, again, our system [br]is not rebellious enough.

0:25:58.753,0:26:01.642
We think: "Oh no, you need [br]to have a kitchen, a bathroom,

0:26:01.642,0:26:02.716
bla-bla-bla-bla-bla

0:26:02.716,0:26:07.051
You need to have this amount [br]of space, this amount of space.

0:26:07.051,0:26:09.035
But do you?

0:26:09.035,0:26:12.406
I've lived in that cave [br]for how many years now?

0:26:12.406,0:26:14.351
Before you came, wasn't it?

0:26:14.351,0:26:17.601
About 10–15 years, 20 years now?[br]How many years, do you know?

0:26:17.601,0:26:21.401
Do you remember,[br]how long I've lived in my cave?

0:26:21.401,0:26:22.603
Anyway,

0:26:22.603,0:26:25.034
it's a long, long time, [br]and it's very comfortable,

0:26:25.034,0:26:29.532
so why is it that we can't...

0:26:29.532,0:26:34.990
that all the people put their hands up,[br]buy a cave and go and live in there.

0:26:34.990,0:26:35.750
Instead of...

0:26:35.750,0:26:39.980
My cave is about... [br]this is like a hemisphere.

0:26:39.980,0:26:41.770
If you wanna know what it looks like.

0:26:41.770,0:26:46.166
It's about 3 meters diameter.

0:26:46.166,0:26:48.648
Made out of rocks, [br]and it's very well made

0:26:48.648,0:26:51.640
and I'm very grateful for the[br]monks who made that for me.

0:26:51.640,0:26:53.440
And it's so comfortable in there.

0:26:53.440,0:26:56.144
I really enjoy it, [br]and many of you've seen it.

0:26:56.144,0:27:02.715
It's one of the best accommodations in the[br]whole of Perth, doesn't cost much at all.

0:27:02.715,0:27:05.259
So what it means, is: [br]some people think

0:27:05.259,0:27:07.815
that's a rubbish place to live.

0:27:07.815,0:27:12.133
Why do people want to live in big houses?

0:27:12.133,0:27:13.926
Why?

0:27:13.926,0:27:16.155
So sometimes, when [br]we challenge these things,

0:27:16.155,0:27:18.880
we can actually see [br]different ways of doing things.

0:27:18.880,0:27:21.221
I think those big places are just...

0:27:21.221,0:27:23.449
not free at all.

0:27:23.449,0:27:26.168
Different ways of looking at the world.

0:27:26.168,0:27:30.267
This is also something which[br]I spent a lot of time talking about:

0:27:30.267,0:27:32.011
freedom.

0:27:32.011,0:27:36.616
What is freedom?[br]What is a free world?

0:27:36.616,0:27:40.370
And the weird thing is [br]that being a Buddhist monk

0:27:40.370,0:27:43.484
and Buddhist nuns, [br]we have so many rules

0:27:43.484,0:27:46.256
we're supposed to be[br]keeping, which we do keep.

0:27:46.256,0:27:49.527
That's one of the things that...[br]we teach people what these rule are,

0:27:49.527,0:27:51.577
and you learn them yourself and

0:27:51.577,0:27:54.322
you say, wow, these monks [br]actually do keep those rules.

0:27:54.322,0:27:57.065
We don't have money.

0:27:57.065,0:27:59.297
So this is one of the [br]reasons why, when...

0:27:59.297,0:28:03.693
I said I couldn't try out that

0:28:03.693,0:28:06.180
that donation terminal[br]or whatever it is.

0:28:06.180,0:28:07.641
Because I've got no money.

0:28:07.641,0:28:11.812
Imagine what it's like, to travel[br]around the world without money.

0:28:11.812,0:28:13.989
And fortunately, no [br]one has ever asked me,

0:28:13.989,0:28:16.682
when I've gone through [br]these customs and immigration,

0:28:16.682,0:28:19.787
'Excuse me sir, how much money[br]are you bringing into the country?'

0:28:19.787,0:28:21.902
'How much money are you spending here?'

0:28:21.902,0:28:24.108
Because if they asked me, [br]I'd say: 'Zero, nothing'.

0:28:24.108,0:28:25.616
[Zip...]

0:28:25.616,0:28:27.863
They probably wouldn't let me in.

0:28:27.863,0:28:31.155
But even though I'm not[br]going to any of these countries,

0:28:31.155,0:28:33.800
bringing money into the economy,

0:28:33.800,0:28:36.738
you're bringing something[br]else which is more important.

0:28:36.738,0:28:39.327
Which is why I keep [br]getting invited to these places.

0:28:39.327,0:28:42.902
Peace, happiness, joy,[br]different way of looking at things.

0:28:42.902,0:28:47.421
Ways which can actually bring people[br]together rather than separate people.

0:28:47.421,0:28:49.162
Different ways of looking.

0:28:49.162,0:28:52.547
For me, the money is that rubbish stuff.

0:28:52.547,0:28:53.867
And wealth...

0:28:53.867,0:28:55.652
Yeah, you've got to have some wealth,

0:28:55.652,0:28:56.880
but that's rubbish stuff.

0:28:56.880,0:28:59.110
Fame is rubbish stuff.

0:28:59.110,0:29:01.049
So what do you really want in your life?

0:29:01.049,0:29:03.119
Is that rubbish?

0:29:03.119,0:29:07.546
Or is it something [br]which is really valuable?

0:29:07.546,0:29:09.849
Sometimes, you can check on that.

0:29:09.849,0:29:12.515
If your house was burning

0:29:12.515,0:29:14.041
like in a bushfire

0:29:14.041,0:29:17.736
and you did have a chance to[br]get in the house and get something

0:29:17.736,0:29:21.496
to flee with before the fire hit.

0:29:21.496,0:29:24.520
What would you take?

0:29:24.520,0:29:27.658
What is really valuable for you?

0:29:27.658,0:29:30.861
Would it be your credit card?

0:29:30.861,0:29:34.491
Would it be, maybe, your dog?

0:29:34.491,0:29:37.292
What is very, really valuable for you?

0:29:37.292,0:29:41.474
And sometimes, when you[br]can't take anything at all,

0:29:41.474,0:29:43.826
sometimes just...

0:29:43.826,0:29:46.108
your goodness is the most valuable.

0:29:46.108,0:29:48.401
One thing which I always remember

0:29:48.401,0:29:52.207
and also talked about [br]a lot with the monks as well –

0:29:52.207,0:29:54.718
not things.

0:29:54.718,0:29:57.184
Not, sort of, you know, photographs

0:29:57.184,0:29:59.294
or mementos

0:29:59.294,0:30:01.098
or medals –

0:30:01.098,0:30:04.121
that's not important.

0:30:04.121,0:30:08.612
What is really important [br]is, like, the service

0:30:08.612,0:30:10.572
which you gave,

0:30:10.572,0:30:13.895
which is why you got[br]that medal in the first place.

0:30:13.895,0:30:15.403
That is what is important.

0:30:15.403,0:30:19.371
That's something which is not rubbish[br]and that's something which doesn't fade.

0:30:19.371,0:30:24.608
That is something which[br]stays in your heart forever.

0:30:24.608,0:30:27.551
The service, the goodness, the kindness.

0:30:27.551,0:30:29.416
What you've given to others.

0:30:29.416,0:30:31.757
And I don't just mean money.

0:30:31.757,0:30:34.063
I mean just the help which you've given.

0:30:34.063,0:30:37.746
Just, you know, like good old Dennis –[br]I don't know how many years he's been

0:30:37.746,0:30:40.160
President from time to time here.

0:30:40.160,0:30:43.910
So much service which he's given to this[br]Buddhist Society of Western Australia

0:30:43.910,0:30:47.417
for so many years,[br]turned him into this beautiful,

0:30:47.417,0:30:48.527
grey,

0:30:48.527,0:30:50.055
going blind,

0:30:50.055,0:30:53.505
but very happy person

0:30:53.505,0:30:56.742
who people respect.

0:30:56.742,0:30:59.993
That is something which[br]is so valuable in this world,

0:30:59.993,0:31:02.523
that is not rubbish.

0:31:02.523,0:31:10.120
Just how you are held[br]with love in people's hearts.

0:31:10.120,0:31:16.069
That is something which is priceless,[br]that's why its value is way beyond

0:31:16.069,0:31:19.513
a monetary calculation.

0:31:19.513,0:31:24.005
It's one of the reasons why I've [br]been using that word a lot – 'priceless'.

0:31:24.005,0:31:26.583
As many of you know those stories,

0:31:26.583,0:31:28.734
when people ask, [br]'How much do I have pay

0:31:28.734,0:31:32.100
to come into your [br]Buddhist Society of Western Australia?'

0:31:32.100,0:31:37.404
And when I used to say 'Nothing', they[br]said 'Ok, you can't be any good, then'.

0:31:37.404,0:31:40.631
Because if you want to, sort of, [br]go to a place which is really good,

0:31:40.631,0:31:44.596
a really good teacher,[br]oh, you have to pay for that...

0:31:44.596,0:31:47.815
Do you?

0:31:47.815,0:31:50.524
All these motivational[br]teachers that used to come –

0:31:50.524,0:31:53.465
was it Tony Robbins, was it?

0:31:53.465,0:31:54.265
Or...

0:31:54.265,0:31:57.686
I don't know who the [br]motivational speakers are.

0:31:57.686,0:32:01.505
And you pay a fortune for those.

0:32:01.505,0:32:02.875
Ajahn Brahm –

0:32:05.075,0:32:05.821
nothing.

0:32:05.821,0:32:09.729
And I remember a few people,[br]because I know some rich people,

0:32:09.729,0:32:14.167
and they just went to a weekend[br]with these motivational speakers:

0:32:14.167,0:32:17.438
five or six thousand dollars!

0:32:17.438,0:32:19.307
Then they came to [br]one of my weekends

0:32:19.307,0:32:23.978
and they said 'Wow, you are much[br]better! Why don't you charge more?'

0:32:23.978,0:32:26.068
I said 'Well, I do charge:

0:32:26.068,0:32:28.356
the cost of coming to my talks

0:32:28.356,0:32:31.001
is priceless.

0:32:31.001,0:32:35.720
In other words, it's not, sort of,[br]given a monetary value at all.

0:32:35.720,0:32:39.286
Because that monetary value[br]can never reach what is given.

0:32:39.286,0:32:42.440
The importance of just [br]kindness and giving

0:32:42.440,0:32:45.586
by example, not just by words.

0:32:45.586,0:32:48.527
That's one of the other things [br]which is important value.

0:32:48.527,0:32:51.413
If you just give a talk

0:32:51.413,0:32:54.142
and it's just words, just arguments,

0:32:54.142,0:32:56.183
there's nothing behind it,

0:32:56.183,0:32:59.293
there's no practice, no living that life,

0:32:59.293,0:33:01.793
that doesn't have much value.

0:33:01.793,0:33:03.638
That is rubbish.

0:33:03.638,0:33:06.718
There are some people [br]who give amazing talks.

0:33:06.718,0:33:08.909
When I read them,

0:33:08.909,0:33:13.489
I say just 'Wow, that's... how can [br]they talk so fluently, so eloquently,

0:33:13.489,0:33:16.683
so deeply...

0:33:16.683,0:33:19.173
But it doesn't have power.

0:33:19.173,0:33:22.705
It's something which[br]I've seen so many times.

0:33:22.705,0:33:27.033
If a person is actually living [br]that life, if they're practicing it

0:33:27.033,0:33:30.582
and not just faking it,

0:33:30.582,0:33:32.547
it's amazing just how

0:33:32.547,0:33:35.534
powerful that is.

0:33:35.534,0:33:37.387
Some of the teachers – I'm sure you can

0:33:37.387,0:33:42.928
hear the same teachings far [br]more eloquent than I can give you.

0:33:42.928,0:33:46.170
But it's where it's [br]coming from is different.

0:33:46.170,0:33:50.623
These little things like I tell, [br]that you know, you are...

0:33:50.623,0:33:54.034
all the nuns, there are [br]renunciates, they're living that life.

0:33:54.034,0:33:56.873
You go and check them out. See them.

0:33:56.873,0:34:00.197
As they speak, so they live.

0:34:00.197,0:34:01.343
Same with the monks.

0:34:01.343,0:34:05.770
And that gives these [br]teachings an extra power to them.

0:34:05.770,0:34:10.783
Especially in a world where[br]there's a lot of dishonesty,

0:34:10.783,0:34:12.791
a lot of falsities.

0:34:12.791,0:34:16.607
People say one thing and [br]they live a totally different life.

0:34:16.607,0:34:20.194
A life where we've lost respect for [br]so many people who used to be given

0:34:20.194,0:34:23.173
so much authority.

0:34:23.173,0:34:25.526
And they lost that authority.

0:34:25.526,0:34:29.867
And I can understand why it is that[br]people these days, they just want...

0:34:29.867,0:34:31.613
to have trust.

0:34:31.613,0:34:34.782
At least some group of people.

0:34:34.782,0:34:37.943
It's one of the reasons why –[br]I think I told this in an ordination

0:34:37.943,0:34:40.782
a few... a week or two ago –

0:34:40.782,0:34:42.326
Why it is that

0:34:42.326,0:34:45.955
one of my friends, [br]a monk over in Malaysia,

0:34:45.955,0:34:47.771
it was actually Venerable Aggacitta

0:34:47.771,0:34:49.088
years ago...

0:34:49.088,0:34:52.143
When he was setting up his temple

0:34:53.173,0:34:54.593
in Taipei...

0:34:55.203,0:34:57.012
in Malaysia,

0:34:57.012,0:35:01.025
he did a survey, first of all.

0:35:01.025,0:35:03.358
He's a very highly educated monk.

0:35:03.358,0:35:07.744
He surveyed as many of [br]his lay followers as possible.

0:35:07.744,0:35:08.880
And asked them:

0:35:08.880,0:35:13.583
'What type of monk would you like?

0:35:13.583,0:35:16.394
Should that monk be a great teacher?

0:35:16.394,0:35:22.860
Should he be a monk [br]who can tell great jokes?

0:35:22.860,0:35:26.459
Should he be a monk who writes books?

0:35:26.459,0:35:28.538
Should he be a monk [br]who's a great scholar?

0:35:28.538,0:35:30.789
Should he be a monk [br]who's a great meditator?

0:35:30.789,0:35:33.974
Should he become a monk[br]who keeps all the precepts?

0:35:33.974,0:35:39.624
Should he be a monk who can[br]travel around and teach your kids?

0:35:39.624,0:35:43.948
What type of monk would you want?'

0:35:43.948,0:35:47.143
And the category [br]which won, hands down,

0:35:47.143,0:35:51.262
he showed me the results and [br]I was so inspired and impressed:

0:35:51.262,0:35:53.887
the type of monk they wanted most –

0:35:53.887,0:35:57.694
and that was just for a monk; the type[br]of nun they want the most, as well –

0:35:57.694,0:36:00.511
is the one who keeps the precepts.

0:36:00.511,0:36:04.258
A virtuous person.

0:36:04.258,0:36:08.363
Because they were the [br]rarest to find in the world.

0:36:08.363,0:36:11.974
Someone who lived what they taught.

0:36:11.974,0:36:14.127
Instead of saying one thing,

0:36:14.127,0:36:15.892
practicing differently,

0:36:15.892,0:36:17.854
which made their words

0:36:17.854,0:36:20.057
not worth anything at all.

0:36:20.057,0:36:22.207
Just rubbish words.

0:36:22.207,0:36:24.238
So little by little, that's so important,

0:36:24.238,0:36:26.841
to give whatever we do, whatever we speak,

0:36:26.841,0:36:29.579
whatever we write, that extra power

0:36:29.579,0:36:32.141
by living this.

0:36:32.141,0:36:39.628
And even I remember some [br]of my followers over in Singapore,

0:36:39.628,0:36:48.188
that there was this one Buddhist...[br]was he a Buddhist? No, he was

0:36:48.188,0:36:52.452
a Christian, a pastor, who was caught

0:36:52.452,0:36:57.731
making so much money, like[br]millions of Singapore dollars.

0:36:57.731,0:37:02.389
And a lot of that was done fraudulently.

0:37:02.389,0:37:04.931
So he was gonna go to jail.

0:37:04.931,0:37:08.245
And that really made the Christian [br]community in Singapore just really

0:37:08.245,0:37:11.824
a bit upset about their leaders.

0:37:11.824,0:37:16.309
At the same time, I was in the[br]newspaper for something else,

0:37:16.309,0:37:18.734
and I was interviewed, [br]and what I said there,

0:37:18.734,0:37:20.529
and it was confirmed, that

0:37:20.529,0:37:24.132
whenever I go teaching [br]anywhere in Singapore,

0:37:24.132,0:37:27.675
I don't get any money at all,[br]I don't have any bank account,

0:37:27.675,0:37:29.318
don't have a credit card,

0:37:29.318,0:37:33.015
don't have... nothing.

0:37:33.015,0:37:35.594
It's always great fun in that sense.

0:37:35.594,0:37:40.154
When you're a monk, you don't have[br]any driver's license, bank account

0:37:40.154,0:37:42.545
details...

0:37:42.545,0:37:47.628
I don't own anything.

0:37:47.628,0:37:50.124
But look how well I live.

0:37:50.124,0:37:52.622
And I said in this article,

0:37:52.622,0:37:57.002
'In today's world, you don't need money.

0:37:57.002,0:37:59.050
Or a credit card.

0:37:59.050,0:38:00.840
If you're kind

0:38:00.840,0:38:02.359
and giving

0:38:02.359,0:38:03.890
and serving

0:38:03.890,0:38:05.603
and helping,

0:38:05.603,0:38:08.155
living simply.'

0:38:08.155,0:38:14.068
And then, I think the next day,[br]in the letters column,

0:38:14.068,0:38:19.529
one of these pastors said 'We can [br]learn from this Ajahn Brahm fellow.'

0:38:19.529,0:38:23.262
'Just look, there he is' – I had [br]a good reputation in Singapore,

0:38:23.262,0:38:26.415
'There he is, living very [br]peaceful, doing such a good work

0:38:26.415,0:38:30.117
and he doesn't charge [br]a thing for anything'.

0:38:30.117,0:38:31.797
All done for free.

0:38:31.797,0:38:33.423
For gratis.

0:38:33.423,0:38:34.338
For the love of it.

0:38:34.338,0:38:37.771
People give donations afterwards,[br]but not to me, they give it to Dennis

0:38:37.771,0:38:39.476
and the Treasurer.

0:38:39.476,0:38:40.323
Over there.

0:38:40.323,0:38:44.010
And it goes into supporting this place.

0:38:44.010,0:38:46.792
But for monks and nuns,

0:38:46.792,0:38:52.344
we do it just for the joy of it,[br]for the service of it, for the love of it.

0:38:52.344,0:38:56.017
And you get so much [br]happiness and joy back.

0:38:56.017,0:39:00.554
That's one of the greatest[br]things, to have that service

0:39:00.554,0:39:03.174
as your wealth.

0:39:03.174,0:39:06.903
When people ask 'Who's the [br]wealthiest people in this room?'

0:39:06.903,0:39:10.094
They're sitting in the front seats, here.

0:39:10.094,0:39:14.240
They're wealthy. And I've [br]met some very wealthy people.

0:39:14.240,0:39:18.008
I often mention this - billionaires.

0:39:18.008,0:39:20.086
But those wealthy people had nothing.

0:39:20.086,0:39:25.503
They're only wealthy[br]in the amount of worry they have.

0:39:25.503,0:39:27.980
They've got lots of money in the bank,

0:39:27.980,0:39:30.480
but they don't have [br]the peace and happiness

0:39:30.480,0:39:34.083
which you see in your [br]monks and nuns, here.

0:39:34.083,0:39:36.220
They don't have that, because

0:39:36.220,0:39:39.173
they're worried so much, they're not free.

0:39:39.173,0:39:42.078
One of the great things about this life:

0:39:42.078,0:39:45.638
you learn the meaning of freedom.

0:39:45.638,0:39:48.868
It's not the freedom OF desires,[br]as I often say,

0:39:48.868,0:39:50.895
it's the freedom FROM desires.

0:39:50.895,0:39:53.242
You don't want anything,[br]you just want to give.

0:39:53.242,0:39:54.868
What can I give you?

0:39:54.868,0:39:56.067
What to do you want?

0:39:56.067,0:39:59.034
How can I help? How can I serve?

0:39:59.034,0:40:03.449
And that's such a great joy,[br]to be able to serve others.

0:40:03.449,0:40:05.856
It's such a great joy to serve others,

0:40:05.856,0:40:08.252
that's why even simple things,

0:40:08.252,0:40:13.154
like opening the door to one of you,[br]when according to our rules and traditions

0:40:13.154,0:40:15.441
you're supposed to open the door for ME.

0:40:15.441,0:40:19.305
Simple thing, but I love doing that,[br]opening that door to people.

0:40:19.305,0:40:24.283
And just doing whatever you can do,[br]to carry something for them, or whatever.

0:40:24.283,0:40:26.465
However I can do

0:40:26.465,0:40:28.219
to serve others,

0:40:28.219,0:40:33.509
to be kind, put that kindness[br]into real good practice.

0:40:33.509,0:40:37.663
And that record of service[br]you should build up over the years.

0:40:37.663,0:40:38.856
The giving, the goodness,

0:40:38.856,0:40:40.254
the helping others.

0:40:40.254,0:40:42.711
Expecting nothing back in return.

0:40:42.711,0:40:45.922
That gives you a huge wealth inside.

0:40:45.922,0:40:48.094
A huge power.

0:40:48.094,0:40:49.974
Spiritual power

0:40:49.974,0:40:51.263
and even

0:40:51.263,0:40:52.509
psychic power as well.

0:40:52.509,0:40:55.397
I'm now sure, I'm sure the nuns

0:40:55.397,0:40:58.894
did a lot of chanting to kick [br]that bushfire out of their property.

0:40:58.894,0:41:00.063
Certainly the monks did,

0:41:00.063,0:41:02.289
certainly I did.

0:41:02.289,0:41:03.710
You say you knew...

0:41:03.710,0:41:08.052
Honestly, I knew that fire had [br]no chance to get into Dhammasara.

0:41:08.052,0:41:10.445
No chance in the world.

0:41:10.445,0:41:12.427
Simply because

0:41:12.427,0:41:17.405
there are such things as heavenly beings.

0:41:17.405,0:41:19.477
Can I tell this story?

0:41:19.477,0:41:21.821
I haven't told this story for a while.

0:41:21.821,0:41:24.186
This is the heavenly-being-story.

0:41:24.186,0:41:25.610
Real one.

0:41:25.610,0:41:29.985
Of the monk...

0:41:29.985,0:41:32.838
or actually he wasn't a monk yet.

0:41:32.838,0:41:35.382
This American

0:41:35.382,0:41:40.919
who met a heavenly being –[br]it's absolutely true story.

0:41:40.919,0:41:43.312
And I've got to be careful [br]saying this, because

0:41:43.312,0:41:48.813
this happened in Thailand and there is[br]that very strict rule of lèse-majesté –

0:41:48.813,0:41:52.133
you can't say anything bad about a king.

0:41:52.133,0:41:55.626
Listen to this story[br]just to finish off with.

0:41:55.626,0:41:59.156
I'm not saying anything bad at all,[br]but just saying something wonderful

0:41:59.156,0:42:01.875
about one of the [br]former kings of Thailand.

0:42:01.875,0:42:04.624
This young man,

0:42:04.624,0:42:06.593
he got over to Thailand

0:42:06.593,0:42:09.558
to do Peace Corps work.

0:42:09.558,0:42:11.640
So two years over in Thailand,

0:42:11.640,0:42:13.495
doing Peace Corps work.

0:42:13.495,0:42:15.891
And then, before he went[br]back to the United States

0:42:15.891,0:42:16.629
and just...

0:42:16.629,0:42:19.971
get a job, get married,[br]and all of that sort of stuff,

0:42:19.971,0:42:22.248
he decided to try to be a monk.

0:42:22.248,0:42:25.326
A Buddhist monk just for a short time.

0:42:25.326,0:42:28.351
But he didn't know what to do.[br]How do you become a monk?

0:42:28.351,0:42:30.656
In Thailand.

0:42:30.656,0:42:33.069
And so, he was staying at a hotel

0:42:33.069,0:42:35.470
on the outskirts of Bangkok,

0:42:35.470,0:42:37.983
and he asked the concierge.

0:42:37.983,0:42:42.338
The concierge knows other[br]places to send Americans,

0:42:42.338,0:42:49.211
but not, sort of, monasteries.

0:42:49.211,0:42:53.471
But he did hear that there was [br]one monastery in the centre of Bangkok,

0:42:53.471,0:42:55.017
Wat Bowon,

0:42:55.017,0:42:59.026
which sometimes had Western monks.

0:42:59.026,0:43:04.608
So he said: Go there, go to this place[br]Wat Bowon, in the centre of Bangkok,

0:43:04.608,0:43:08.058
and go there early in [br]the morning, take some food

0:43:08.058,0:43:10.238
and wait for the monks to come out

0:43:10.238,0:43:12.978
and put some food into [br]one of the monks' bowls

0:43:12.978,0:43:14.034
and just ask them.'

0:43:14.034,0:43:16.138
He knew a little bit[br]of Thai, not that much.

0:43:16.138,0:43:18.990
Ask them he wants to become a monk.

0:43:18.990,0:43:20.706
So that's what he did.

0:43:20.706,0:43:24.594
The advice wasn't very clear or precise.

0:43:24.594,0:43:27.886
So he went there [br]really early in the morning.

0:43:27.886,0:43:30.709
About 4 o'clock, [br]4:30 or something.

0:43:30.709,0:43:33.248
And the monastery was all locked up.

0:43:33.248,0:43:37.158
It was closed, no one was around.

0:43:37.158,0:43:41.946
So he was walking up and down[br]outside this monastery Wat Bowon,

0:43:41.946,0:43:44.099
not knowing what to do.

0:43:44.099,0:43:47.938
And this Thai man came up to him

0:43:47.938,0:43:51.444
and asked him: [br]'Who are you? How can I help?'

0:43:51.444,0:43:57.438
Because Thais are, certainly in those [br]days, were very polite and very helpful.

0:43:57.438,0:44:00.500
So he said he was American,[br]he wanted to become a monk,

0:44:00.500,0:44:02.613
and the Thai man said: [br]'You're really early,

0:44:02.613,0:44:04.748
you've come a couple of hours too early.'

0:44:04.748,0:44:09.727
But the Thai man said: 'Never mind.[br]I've got the keys, I can let you inside.'

0:44:09.727,0:44:13.734
So he took this Westerner [br]inside the monastery.

0:44:13.734,0:44:17.209
He opened the doors, [br]it was a metal door

0:44:17.209,0:44:21.633
in front of the Uposatha hall, the boat.

0:44:21.633,0:44:25.545
You're Thai, it's called the Royal Gate.

0:44:25.545,0:44:28.310
I'll tell you why afterwards,[br]if you don't already know.

0:44:28.310,0:44:32.153
And then went into the main hall,

0:44:32.153,0:44:34.289
turned on the electric lights,

0:44:34.289,0:44:37.076
he had the key, opened the main hall,

0:44:37.076,0:44:38.811
the holy of holies there,

0:44:38.811,0:44:46.125
and he described all the paintings,[br]all the murals on this 200-year-old hall.

0:44:46.125,0:44:49.492
And who painted them, [br]why they were painted,

0:44:49.492,0:44:53.902
and the story which those murals told.

0:44:53.902,0:44:57.272
And if you know that [br]Thai art in those days,

0:44:57.272,0:45:00.512
every one of those murals [br]told a story, it's like a cartoon,

0:45:00.512,0:45:03.851
but cartoons in the West [br]they would start from the left

0:45:03.851,0:45:06.405
and they go to the right, [br]then the next level...

0:45:06.405,0:45:11.076
These go around all sorts[br]of different... trajectories.

0:45:11.076,0:45:14.392
If you know the story, you can [br]actually tell what they are, but even

0:45:14.392,0:45:17.363
sometimes I know those stories,[br]but I can't actually figure out

0:45:17.363,0:45:19.935
how they all connect together.

0:45:19.935,0:45:24.263
But the two hours went past so quickly.

0:45:24.263,0:45:28.986
He was so fascinated by all this history

0:45:28.986,0:45:32.540
of the temple that this Thai man knew.

0:45:32.540,0:45:34.947
Then the Thai man said: [br]'It's about time now, to...

0:45:34.947,0:45:36.907
the monks will be coming out any minute,

0:45:36.907,0:45:41.491
so go out the gate again, turn right, [br]and then wait for this old monk –

0:45:41.491,0:45:43.137
he's the one you should speak to.'

0:45:43.137,0:45:45.776
That's what this Westerner did.

0:45:45.776,0:45:47.908
This American.

0:45:47.908,0:45:49.860
I know this American.

0:45:49.860,0:45:51.388
It's a true story.

0:45:51.388,0:45:54.269
Happened in my lifetime, in Thailand.

0:45:54.269,0:45:55.991
And

0:45:55.991,0:45:58.127
soon that monk came out

0:45:58.127,0:46:02.137
and he put some food in the bowl,[br]asked him he wanted to become a monk,

0:46:02.137,0:46:08.069
and this American was told to wait[br]and was taken to start the training,

0:46:08.069,0:46:09.877
being a monk.

0:46:09.877,0:46:10.933
And

0:46:10.933,0:46:12.757
after a few days,

0:46:12.757,0:46:15.367
the American said: 'Look,[br]the monk you've given me

0:46:15.367,0:46:16.952
to teach me all the chanting,

0:46:16.952,0:46:18.635
and the rules and stuff,

0:46:18.635,0:46:23.894
I can't understand him, [br]his English is no good.

0:46:23.894,0:46:25.851
And the other monk said 'This is the best

0:46:25.851,0:46:30.010
English speaker we've [br]got in the whole monastery'.

0:46:30.010,0:46:37.204
And that is where this American said:[br]'What about that temple attendant

0:46:37.204,0:46:40.303
who I met on the first day?'

0:46:40.303,0:46:43.786
'What temple attendant?'

0:46:43.786,0:46:48.597
'The guy who opened the door for me.'

0:46:48.597,0:46:50.946
'You can't go through that door.

0:46:50.946,0:46:53.423
That gate is the Royal Gate.

0:46:53.423,0:46:56.938
The only people allowed [br]through that gate at Wat Bowon

0:46:56.938,0:46:59.150
are members of the royal family.'

0:46:59.150,0:47:03.222
You know how much [br]they hold their tradition.

0:47:03.222,0:47:06.709
And you can't turn [br]the electricity on there.

0:47:06.709,0:47:08.961
And, and...

0:47:08.961,0:47:12.813
not even the Abbot knows all[br]the stories behind those paintings.

0:47:12.813,0:47:14.563
They took him straight to the Abbot.

0:47:14.563,0:47:16.563
That was Somdet Nyanasamvara.

0:47:16.563,0:47:18.871
He became the Head Monk of Thailand.

0:47:18.871,0:47:23.012
But at that time, he was [br]the Abbot of the temple.

0:47:23.012,0:47:27.079
The Abbot was listening to[br]all of this and stopped him.

0:47:27.079,0:47:31.816
And said: 'Wait' and called in the[br]secretary, 'This needs to be recorded.'

0:47:31.816,0:47:35.213
And this is pretty much a true story.

0:47:35.213,0:47:39.128
I did tell this story in the Thai[br]Embassy in Singapore, once.

0:47:39.128,0:47:42.070
And the Ambassador there, interrupted me.

0:47:42.070,0:47:45.452
Eventually afterwards he said [br]'Yes, I've seen that story written down,

0:47:45.452,0:47:47.981
it's true, it actually happened.'

0:47:47.981,0:47:50.412
But anyway, the Abbot wrote it all down.

0:47:50.412,0:47:51.801
Or the secretary, rather.

0:47:51.801,0:47:53.780
But the end of the story.

0:47:53.780,0:47:56.558
Of course, they asked the question:

0:47:56.558,0:47:58.122
'What did that man look like?

0:47:58.122,0:48:00.897
That temple attendant [br]we don't know, exists.

0:48:00.897,0:48:04.781
The one who opened doors[br]which only royal family can open.'

0:48:04.781,0:48:09.715
No one's got the key, no temple[br]attendant's got the key to the main hall.

0:48:09.715,0:48:12.530
Only a couple of monks have that key.

0:48:12.530,0:48:17.416
Not even the old Abbot knew all [br]the stories behind the paintings.

0:48:17.416,0:48:19.965
He said: 'What did he look like?'

0:48:19.965,0:48:24.705
You know what happens when you[br]have to try and describe a person,

0:48:24.705,0:48:26.959
especially if you're [br]from a different country;

0:48:26.959,0:48:29.599
'I don't know, he just... was Thai.'

0:48:29.599,0:48:32.077
'He was wearing [br]traditional Thai clothes,' he said.

0:48:32.077,0:48:33.987
That was one interesting thing.

0:48:33.987,0:48:36.159
Not modern clothes.

0:48:36.159,0:48:38.118
Traditional Thai clothes.

0:48:38.118,0:48:40.024
'But what did he look like?'

0:48:40.024,0:48:46.049
And this American couldn't think[br]exactly what this guy looked like.

0:48:46.049,0:48:49.621
So he was scratching his head, literally,[br]because that's what Westerners do,

0:48:49.621,0:48:50.648
Thais don't do that.

0:48:50.648,0:48:53.960
Scratching his head.

0:48:53.960,0:48:56.016
And he stopped.

0:48:56.016,0:48:59.905
He was looking at a portrait

0:48:59.905,0:49:03.295
in the Abbot's office.

0:49:03.295,0:49:05.334
'It's him!'

0:49:05.334,0:49:07.365
'That's the one.'

0:49:07.365,0:49:11.929
'That's the one I met'.

0:49:11.929,0:49:14.317
That was a portrait

0:49:14.317,0:49:16.862
of one of the sponsors of that temple

0:49:16.862,0:49:18.868
when it was first built.

0:49:18.868,0:49:23.098
His Majesty King Rama V

0:49:23.098,0:49:24.919
who died

0:49:24.919,0:49:30.506
about 150 years prior to that incident.

0:49:30.506,0:49:33.716
That went down in the books.

0:49:33.716,0:49:36.347
A heavenly being

0:49:36.347,0:49:40.200
coming down to help a young man

0:49:40.200,0:49:44.393
become a monk.

0:49:44.393,0:49:50.537
And that's one of those amazing [br]real-life heavenly-being stories.

0:49:50.537,0:49:53.306
You can imagine,[br]it's in the books, happened.

0:49:53.306,0:49:57.302
That other guy, that monk,[br]lost contact with him a long time ago,

0:49:57.302,0:50:00.453
he went back to America,[br]not sure where he went to.

0:50:00.453,0:50:03.203
But this is amazing, what happens.

0:50:03.203,0:50:08.653
So, when you're [br]a good monk or a good nun,

0:50:08.653,0:50:13.254
there are lots of other beings[br]who will look after you.

0:50:13.254,0:50:17.752
Especially in a place [br]like Dhammasara.

0:50:17.752,0:50:19.828
I remember going there the first...

0:50:19.828,0:50:22.016
goosebumps.

0:50:22.016,0:50:24.653
I remember going there the first time

0:50:24.653,0:50:28.507
with Ajahn Cittapalo's brother.

0:50:30.357,0:50:31.548
When it was on auction.

0:50:31.548,0:50:33.093
Going in there

0:50:33.093,0:50:35.344
and chanting my heart out.

0:50:35.344,0:50:37.601
To actually get that place

0:50:37.601,0:50:41.105
for our Bhikkhuni Sangha.

0:50:41.105,0:50:44.231
You can feel this energy in that place.

0:50:44.231,0:50:46.358
Good beings looking after you.

0:50:46.358,0:50:48.410
That's why

0:50:48.410,0:50:50.188
we got it.

0:50:50.188,0:50:51.363
That's why

0:50:51.363,0:50:54.380
it's been a very [br]successful, beautiful monastery.

0:50:54.380,0:50:55.907
That is why –

0:50:55.907,0:50:58.504
sorry, fire demons.

0:50:58.504,0:51:01.104
You go find another place to burn.

0:51:01.104,0:51:03.060
But not Dhammasara.

0:51:03.060,0:51:04.272
That place

0:51:04.272,0:51:06.860
is safe.

0:51:06.860,0:51:08.849
Okay. There we go.

0:51:08.849,0:51:11.006
I thought that was [br]a rubbish talk tonight,

0:51:11.006,0:51:12.787
but I started on rubbish

0:51:12.787,0:51:14.095
and see where it went to.

0:51:14.095,0:51:15.605
So thank you all for listening.

0:51:16.093,0:51:20.223
Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu![br](all together)

0:51:21.702,0:51:24.118
I don't know how many [br]times I've told that story,

0:51:24.118,0:51:30.626
I usually tell that story in retreats,[br]but it still gives me goosebumps as well.

0:51:30.626,0:51:35.182
Ok, here we go for questions here today.

0:51:35.182,0:51:38.420
This is first from New Zealand.

0:51:38.420,0:51:40.787
'Many times my mind [br]will recall a random memory

0:51:40.787,0:51:42.622
that is embarrassing or painful.

0:51:42.622,0:51:44.031
It causes me intense emotion.

0:51:44.031,0:51:45.330
The past is often painful.

0:51:45.330,0:51:47.047
Can you offer insight?'

0:51:47.047,0:51:50.678
First of all, whatever [br]that random memory is

0:51:50.678,0:51:53.947
which causes you embarrassment or pain,

0:51:53.947,0:51:59.699
if you can share that story as [br]honestly you can with somebody you know

0:51:59.699,0:52:01.631
and trust –

0:52:01.631,0:52:04.574
because when it actually is not[br]inside of you, but it's outside,

0:52:04.574,0:52:08.417
it becomes far smaller, [br]less of a problem.

0:52:08.417,0:52:11.200
I've seen that many times,[br]I told that story few weeks ago,

0:52:11.200,0:52:13.017
about this woman, not far,

0:52:13.017,0:52:14.817
in Tuart Hill somewhere.

0:52:15.027,0:52:16.507
Tuart Hill, Dianella...

0:52:17.197,0:52:19.372
And she was dying.

0:52:19.372,0:52:22.643
And I asked her that once,[br]before she passed away:

0:52:22.643,0:52:25.039
'Is there anything [br]you've done in your life

0:52:25.039,0:52:27.514
which you're very ashamed of?'

0:52:27.514,0:52:30.518
And of course it took a while [br]to get her to confess to me.

0:52:30.518,0:52:33.982
And what she said [br]was that once in her life

0:52:33.982,0:52:38.866
she'd kissed another woman's husband.

0:52:38.866,0:52:41.241
And I asked 'Is that all you've done?'

0:52:41.241,0:52:45.241
She said 'Yes, I was so ashamed [br]of it, you're the first person I've told.'

0:52:45.241,0:52:47.299
So that's not bad, a whole life.

0:52:47.299,0:52:50.928
We can forgive you that one.

0:52:50.928,0:52:54.800
But for me, hearing that, [br]that was a small thing.

0:52:54.800,0:52:57.739
But for her, it was the most [br]terrible thing she'd ever done.

0:52:57.739,0:53:00.410
But once she actually [br]confessed it, let somebody know,

0:53:00.410,0:53:03.753
she also realized it wasn't that bad.

0:53:03.753,0:53:07.760
So if you can tell a person you trust,

0:53:07.760,0:53:09.651
a person who's kind,

0:53:09.651,0:53:12.322
who'll give you forgiveness straight away,

0:53:12.322,0:53:14.238
then you'll put it more in perspective.

0:53:14.238,0:53:18.041
It's the old story - how big is my hand?[br]My hand is so big because it's too close.

0:53:18.041,0:53:20.277
You put it away, where [br]other people can see it,

0:53:20.277,0:53:23.572
your hand is just of ordinary[br]size, it's not that big of a problem.

0:53:23.572,0:53:24.835
And then it will just...

0:53:24.835,0:53:27.963
the emotions will go away, [br]it's not such a bad thing you've done.

0:53:27.963,0:53:30.987
Also, at least have some friends

0:53:30.987,0:53:32.849
or some spiritual path

0:53:32.849,0:53:36.511
where it's ok to make mistakes.

0:53:36.511,0:53:40.578
So you don't have to be so perfect.

0:53:40.578,0:53:42.282
So you can accept

0:53:42.282,0:53:43.402
when you made mistakes,

0:53:43.402,0:53:45.434
embarrassing, [br]shameful things you've done.

0:53:45.434,0:53:47.297
And you learn from them.

0:53:47.297,0:53:50.643
You grow from them, [br]you become a better person.

0:53:50.643,0:53:52.275
From Germany.

0:53:52.275,0:53:54.687
'I have the habit of [br]collecting the garbage in me

0:53:54.687,0:53:57.374
and it doesn't fall though.

0:53:57.374,0:53:58.799
It disturbs or depressed me.

0:53:58.799,0:54:01.665
Can I do anything about that [br]or make it vanish? Thank you.'

0:54:01.665,0:54:03.176
Of course you can.

0:54:03.176,0:54:07.114
You're a rubbish bin, but you [br]forgot to put a hole in the bottom.

0:54:07.114,0:54:10.251
So see if you can just visualize...

0:54:10.251,0:54:11.497
visualize life.

0:54:11.497,0:54:14.923
It has some beautiful stuff,[br]and some unpleasant stuff.

0:54:14.923,0:54:18.938
And just have it so the beautiful stuff[br]goes in one side of the rubbish bin

0:54:18.938,0:54:20.047
and stays.

0:54:20.047,0:54:23.019
And the other part goes in [br]the other part and just disappears,

0:54:23.019,0:54:25.831
down the bottom.

0:54:25.831,0:54:27.914
Can you do that?

0:54:27.914,0:54:31.233
Do some visualization,[br]sometimes that helps.

0:54:31.233,0:54:34.899
But don't collect the garbage in you.

0:54:34.899,0:54:36.675
For goodness grace, just...

0:54:36.675,0:54:39.553
allow it to just go through you.

0:54:39.553,0:54:40.928
And then,

0:54:40.928,0:54:42.484
it just goes back into the soil

0:54:42.484,0:54:49.974
and generates new flowers [br]and fruits for another time.

0:54:49.974,0:54:51.848
But the garbage in you

0:54:51.848,0:54:54.225
is not worth collecting.

0:54:54.225,0:54:55.134
Now from Indonesia.

0:54:55.134,0:54:56.027
'Dear Ajahn Brahm,

0:54:56.027,0:54:58.993
Ajahn Chah emphasized his[br]teaching about impermanence.

0:54:58.993,0:55:00.340
How do we avoid feeling sad,

0:55:00.340,0:55:02.725
when we know our loved[br]ones are going to leave us?'

0:55:02.725,0:55:06.107
Because new loves ones [br]are gonna come in to your life.

0:55:06.107,0:55:07.555
That's impermanence.

0:55:07.555,0:55:10.042
You don't feel sad that [br]one concert is finished,

0:55:10.042,0:55:12.503
because you know this other band's coming

0:55:12.503,0:55:16.125
in a theatre close to you next week.

0:55:16.125,0:55:20.308
Yes, you do have many [br]people you love and care for,

0:55:20.308,0:55:22.190
but when they pass away,

0:55:22.190,0:55:25.741
you have other people[br]you can love and care for.

0:55:25.741,0:55:28.101
And this is life.

0:55:28.101,0:55:30.005
What a wonderful thing it is.

0:55:30.005,0:55:32.016
We have so many more opportunities

0:55:32.016,0:55:35.964
to care and have real love –[br]love which doesn't own something.

0:55:35.964,0:55:38.299
Ones which enjoy their time together,

0:55:38.299,0:55:39.509
when the day is finished,

0:55:39.509,0:55:42.155
good night, we had [br]a wonderful day together.

0:55:42.155,0:55:44.228
See you, maybe see someone else.

0:55:44.228,0:55:46.651
In your next life.

0:55:46.651,0:55:49.640
That's being truthful.

0:55:49.640,0:55:51.469
Realistic.

0:55:51.469,0:55:54.708
And it also means you're always open

0:55:54.708,0:56:00.310
to another person you can [br]have a wonderful time with.

0:56:00.310,0:56:02.055
And lastly, from Russia:

0:56:02.055,0:56:05.820
'Dear Ajahn Brahm, what would you advise,[br]if a person who has strong aspiration

0:56:05.820,0:56:10.050
to the highest Buddhist [br]achievement, but can't leave a lay life

0:56:10.050,0:56:12.221
because of commitments?

0:56:12.221,0:56:14.493
Having aspirations, [br]I've mentioned this before,

0:56:14.493,0:56:17.721
if you start with an aspiration,

0:56:17.721,0:56:21.702
it then leads to desperation,[br]when you can't achieve your aspiration,

0:56:21.702,0:56:23.262
and expiration

0:56:23.262,0:56:26.304
when you expire.

0:56:26.304,0:56:29.753
So instead of having aspirations,

0:56:29.753,0:56:32.143
learn how to be content.

0:56:32.143,0:56:34.396
This is good enough.

0:56:34.396,0:56:36.704
I'm happy to be here.

0:56:36.704,0:56:39.286
As I mentioned to some of you, that

0:56:39.286,0:56:43.836
during the Covid lockdown,[br]this was in Bangkok apparently,

0:56:43.836,0:56:50.036
the Thai Rath newspaper, which is the[br]biggest newspaper, most read newspaper,

0:56:50.036,0:56:52.806
daily newspaper in Thailand.

0:56:52.806,0:56:55.305
They carried one of my stories,

0:56:55.305,0:56:59.910
about the difference between [br]being free or being in prison.

0:56:59.910,0:57:02.914
And the only difference is that[br]any place you don't want to be

0:57:02.914,0:57:04.789
is called prison.

0:57:04.789,0:57:07.707
Any place you love [br]to be is called freedom.

0:57:07.707,0:57:12.142
It doesn't matter if it's like[br]somewhere they call Bangkok jail

0:57:12.142,0:57:16.997
or it's something you [br]call like Hilton 6-star hotel.

0:57:16.997,0:57:18.571
If you don't wanna be there,

0:57:18.571,0:57:20.963
that Hilton Hotel,

0:57:20.963,0:57:23.278
which many people get quarantined in,

0:57:23.278,0:57:25.419
it's like a prison.

0:57:25.419,0:57:27.282
It's really crazy, isn't it?

0:57:27.282,0:57:30.860
People spend some much money[br]trying to make these hotel rooms

0:57:30.860,0:57:34.172
or suites, whatever, just the most[br]comfortable thing in the world,

0:57:34.172,0:57:36.847
but if you don't wanna [br]be there, because it's lockdown

0:57:36.847,0:57:38.550
or you're quarantine,

0:57:38.550,0:57:42.058
you perceive it as a prison.

0:57:42.058,0:57:46.548
Me, being in lockdown[br]for five days over in Serpentine:

0:57:46.548,0:57:49.418
'Yaaaay, free!'

0:57:49.418,0:57:52.070
Actually, you felt free there.

0:57:52.070,0:57:56.119
Didn't have to talk to people after lunch.

0:57:56.119,0:58:00.606
It was great, because after lunch,[br]I have to go, as senior monk,

0:58:00.606,0:58:04.171
I have to sit down and wait and talk [br]to people about this and the other

0:58:04.171,0:58:07.922
same old stuff and same [br]old jokes you hear from me, so...

0:58:07.922,0:58:11.565
But then, this time, [br]as soon as I finished my meal,

0:58:11.565,0:58:12.860
I could go.

0:58:12.860,0:58:14.469
'Yaaaay, free!.'

0:58:14.469,0:58:16.470
You know what it's like, it's great!

0:58:16.470,0:58:18.072
So it's wonderful, lockdown,

0:58:18.072,0:58:19.404
it's more freedom

0:58:19.404,0:58:22.652
that I get when I'm in prison.

0:58:22.652,0:58:24.920
So what is prison?

0:58:24.920,0:58:26.987
So if you have a strong aspiration

0:58:26.987,0:58:29.501
to the highest Buddhist achievement,

0:58:29.501,0:58:31.574
just stop the aspiration.

0:58:31.574,0:58:33.989
All aspirations.

0:58:33.989,0:58:36.004
Learn how to be.

0:58:36.004,0:58:38.966
Learn how to be content.

0:58:38.966,0:58:41.620
Learn how to be kind.

0:58:41.620,0:58:44.388
These qualities,

0:58:44.388,0:58:48.039
those qualities, [br]not aspirations but qualities,

0:58:48.039,0:58:50.138
developing kindness,

0:58:50.138,0:58:52.462
contentment,

0:58:52.462,0:58:55.634
learn how to be happy where you are,

0:58:55.634,0:58:57.404
to enjoy the moment

0:58:57.404,0:59:00.963
and be able to let it go[br]as soon as it finishes.

0:59:00.963,0:59:02.666
Being a rubbish bin with

0:59:02.666,0:59:04.522
no bottom at all.

0:59:04.522,0:59:06.714
Infinite rubbish bin.

0:59:06.714,0:59:08.211
Always empty.

0:59:08.211,0:59:10.815
Always able to receive things.

0:59:10.815,0:59:13.029
Those are really nice things

0:59:13.029,0:59:15.047
to develop.

0:59:15.047,0:59:17.734
But don't aspire for them.

0:59:17.734,0:59:20.246
Give up all the aspirations.

0:59:20.246,0:59:23.741
And then they come to you.

0:59:23.741,0:59:25.747
That was the last question, but

0:59:25.747,0:59:29.382
just to show how they do come [br]to you, for those who don't know that,

0:59:29.382,0:59:33.910
I probably told it last week,[br]the donkey story?

0:59:33.910,0:59:35.745
Here we go, it's the old donkey story,

0:59:35.745,0:59:37.204
just to finish off with today.

0:59:37.204,0:59:40.179
Many of you know,[br]this is one of my favourites.

0:59:40.179,0:59:42.424
There was a donkey

0:59:42.424,0:59:45.563
and it just wouldn't pull the cart.

0:59:45.563,0:59:48.421
So the owner got a stick out[br]and tried to hit the donkey,

0:59:48.421,0:59:50.011
but the donkey wouldn't move.

0:59:50.011,0:59:51.074
But then

0:59:51.074,0:59:54.075
the owner figured out, how [br]to get the donkey to pull the cart:

0:59:54.075,0:59:58.313
he tied the stick to the donkey's neck,

0:59:58.313,1:00:01.628
so the front of the stick was [br]two foot in front of the donkey's head,

1:00:01.628,1:00:03.175
string on the end of the stick

1:00:03.175,1:00:06.830
and a carrot on the end of the string.

1:00:06.830,1:00:10.286
So the donkey saw[br]a carrot two foot in front of it.

1:00:10.286,1:00:11.425
Donkeys like carrots,

1:00:11.425,1:00:13.719
so the donkey went towards the carrot.

1:00:13.719,1:00:17.561
When the donkey went towards the carrot,[br]the carrot went away from the donkey.

1:00:17.561,1:00:19.559
Welcome to life.

1:00:19.559,1:00:22.554
I don't know how many carrots [br]you've been chasing in your life

1:00:22.554,1:00:23.624
or this last week,

1:00:23.624,1:00:25.606
but I think you can relate to that story.

1:00:25.606,1:00:27.758
That's how they get [br]donkeys to pull carts.

1:00:27.758,1:00:28.960
But,

1:00:28.960,1:00:31.115
when you come to this center,

1:00:31.115,1:00:33.050
you figure out how to catch the carrot.

1:00:33.050,1:00:35.636
Simple, really.

1:00:35.636,1:00:38.089
You run after that [br]carrot as fast as you can.

1:00:38.089,1:00:39.849
Doesn't matter how fast you run,

1:00:39.849,1:00:43.416
that carrot is still [br]two foot in front of you.

1:00:43.416,1:00:45.121
But then, you know how to...

1:00:45.121,1:00:47.266
stop.

1:00:47.266,1:00:49.522
Stop and let go.

1:00:49.522,1:00:52.631
So the little donkey stops[br]and the carrot goes further away.

1:00:52.631,1:00:55.347
Four foot away, never been [br]as far away before, you think

1:00:55.347,1:00:58.687
it's not working, this is [br]not working, it's not right.

1:00:58.687,1:01:02.415
You've got to aspire for something[br]and start chasing the carrot again.

1:01:02.415,1:01:04.921
But no, no, you have [br]a bit of faith and confidence.

1:01:04.921,1:01:07.021
Four foot away the carrot goes,

1:01:07.021,1:01:08.431
and then,

1:01:08.431,1:01:11.669
the carrot comes swinging towards you.

1:01:11.669,1:01:15.064
And soon it's two foot in front [br]as usual, but now coming at top speed,

1:01:15.064,1:01:18.283
it's never come as fast to you before.

1:01:18.283,1:01:21.475
And it comes and swings [br]right close to your mouth,

1:01:21.475,1:01:23.430
but the last thing you have to remember,

1:01:23.430,1:01:26.266
what many Buddhists forget.

1:01:26.266,1:01:29.357
Kindness, compassion.

1:01:29.357,1:01:32.647
When that carrot comes [br]right close to your mouth,

1:01:32.647,1:01:34.455
you have to remember

1:01:34.455,1:01:36.798
to say to that carrot:

1:01:36.798,1:01:41.726
'Carrot, the door of my [br]mouth is open to you.'

1:01:41.726,1:01:44.286
Otherwise, it bounces off your teeth.

1:01:44.286,1:01:45.228
Okay.

1:01:45.228,1:01:47.183
That's enough for the questions.

1:01:47.663,1:01:51.173
Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!

1:01:51.683,1:01:53.488
Okay.

1:01:53.488,1:01:54.395
There we go.

1:01:54.395,1:01:56.466
Was that a rubbish talk, tonight?

1:01:58.306,1:02:01.129
Okay, let's pay respect to the[br]Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha.