Does Life Suck? | Ajahn Brahm | 1-05-2009

Sometimes everything seems to go wrong. Does life really suck? Ajahn Brahm describes how things going wrong is simply the nature of living in the world. Once we understand and accept this, we can learn to develop a sense of inner calm that is not dependant on external factors.

[@michaelpompe8623]

I have just separated from my wife after 25 years and it’s been mentally and emotionally so difficult. Thank God for Ajah Brahm - he has helped me greatly get through this time. I will always follow him and the Buddha teachings.

[@chongw2026]

"suffering is asking life what life can never be able to supply - high expectation" "when we drop our expectations then we can actually love somebody , because loving them is accepting who they are"

[@ammo3851]

Ajahn's talks are so on point whether he speaks a month ago or over ten years ago.

[@sachinthaherath4902]

"Suffering is wanting from life what it can never give you." Beautiful😌🙏 Thank you Ajahn Brahm and BSWA for this classic!🧡

[@karlyadams6760]

Video was posted 13 years ago but still is helping a lot. Thank you Ajahn Brahm! Always find peace in these talks

[@thebudkellyfiles]

Ajahn Brahm's talks are always so interesting. But, what you might not notice, is that most of his teaching is by his presence. They say that the Buddha was a master speaker, logician, debater, and scholar, but what really attracted and instructed people was his presence. Ajahn Brahm is the greatest dharma teacher around today. Thanks!

[@utterreasons]

thebudkellyfiles He's just average.

[@thomasgricezodiac]

+utterreasons who do you feel is better?

[@calvinriley4177]

+thomas grice whose better is relative to time and who you ask. But as if you were to use wine as an analogy, aged wine is sought after and saved. Fresh wine is constantly being cultivated and consumed. The buddha is sought after and saved, Ajahn is cultivated and consumed.

[@einsteinzvice517]

An overall STELLAR example of an exceptional human heart, mind & spirit. GIFTED! ~Romans 15:2~

[@barbarbarbar2]

When you are in deep shit, listen to him. He really knows what he is talking about. 👍

[@guyneo]

This talk has a special place in my heart. It serves as a Excellence reminder on the truth of reality. Sometimes, when everything is going my was, I become cocky and proud. Resulting in BIG EGO and false sense of POWER. However, as always, after a while things start to go 'wrong''. Very quickly, I will dropped from High to low. I will be depressed, frustrated and anger that things 'deliberately' did not follow my plan. This talk helps me to get back to my feet. Thank you very much.

[@lynnettenovy8625]

One of his best talks, in my opinion. Thoroughly enjoyed listening and forwarded this Dharma to my daughter, who has been diagnosed with cancer at 46yrs old. ❤

[@siddhartha.saif25]

a person without a parent figure, i found Ajahn as my parent figure. thank you for saving my life. thank you for brining me back to life. thank you for teaching how to live a life. i bow before your goodness my spiritual parent Ajahn.

[@galumpha]

Humane, humorous, wise, accessible, compassionate.... I love to listen to Ajahn Brahm.

[@fionateng8735]

N? to

[@swag-qg6tl]

I'm only 8 and I listen to your talks!

[@calvinriley4177]

+Tayla Ghazt Age is the cage of your heart, who you are is a star on course to go far.

[@nyg6863]

I am only 1 and I listen

[@lordbyron3603]

Candine the dragon boi You have good karma. You were most likely a monk in a previous life.

[@cmichaels9544]

I'm in my dad's nuts and I listen

[@rylandpeters8982]

Somebody get this kid a gold star

[@nessieness5433]

Taking care of people, is what Mr Brahm finds most valuable in life. Some children take care of ill, incapacitated parents and have full time jobs at the same time. That is very unlike what a monk does, spending most of his time in meditation. I cannot help wonder how a regular life with all the hectic would affect a monk's life. I feel it to be a very priveleged position, not having to endure the stress of making enough money to support a family, oneself.

[@aremedyproject9569]

During COVID pandemic, social distancing for over six months now, it’s 9/20, and these talks are always good to return to. There’s nothing wrong with things going wrong lol.😌🧘‍♀️

[@sachinthaherath4902]

@A Remedy Project Can't disagree with that😂

[@ayeshkasamararatne8323]

Thank you for speaking the Dhamma Ajahn Brahm.

[@lordbyron3603]

One day I will make a pilgrimage to BSWA to see and hear Ajahn Brahm in person.

[@terranhealer]

Lord Byron did you ever go? I hear he is retiring from the travel life so maybe he will be there while you are there ;)

[@frederickstewart6217]

I would love to travel to Perth to meet him. Sucks I cant get there right now. 😞

[@iLive2WoW]

you sir have just changed my life in a severly frastic way and i believe it is for the better so thank you

[@limbenglee]

Listen to Ajah Brahm's talk ease our heart. He is so humourous and wise.

[@SuryaniNG]

I always like to listen Ajahn Brahm's talk, and this one is one of my favorite. Thanks for sharing.

[@poetryjones7946]

If the world didn’t suck we’d all fall off.

[@danielj5266]

The suck is called gravity

[@Soltuts]

Thankyou Ajahn Brahm! ♥

[@dorabastable7028]

Ajahn Brahm's talk is brilliant! It expresses his basic personal message to us all. Ajahn Brahm is truly an amazing man whom we should all be grateful to for learning so much about life. With Chessid & Metta...

[@debbiewasshername]

ive been practicing 30 + years. Great to see someone on the path giving talks to those still seeking guidance/answers. namaste

[@gerardwise67]

No one can make you angry only you. Sleep soundly when everything goes wrong. For some if not many life continuously seems to work against us. Though my sleep comes without struggle, just before waking, since my earliest memory, i have vivid disturbing dreams, moreso when everything goes wrong. After 57 years I've only just recently begun getting better at laughing at the absurdities while awake, nevertheless the dreams haven't changed. It's easy enough to be happy when life goes along like a song. But the one worthwhile is the one who can smile when everything goes all wrong

[@Jennifr1966]

I liked your story about the boy who kept failing school. I'm not sure this was your point, but what I got out of it was, if someone isn't good at any of the core education subjects, find something outside of those that work. By doing so, this boy was able to become an extraordinary teacher! Who could have possibly guessed at the third year of first grade, that he would go on to TEACH? But I bet this helped him to be a *better* teacher, because he would have insight into "learning obstacles", to help those who were having difficulties.

[@andrewrobinson5581]

Jennifer W @6

[@sajjadminhas6478]

I guess you are right.

[@NoHandleWantedAtAll]

wow....suffering is asking life for something it cannot give you...very nicely put!

[@pepebernardou4378]

Thanks for your presence... i look at your teachings every time i can. It's really great! From France with love..

[@lifern1437]

It's 2021 and yet still so relevant! Thank you Ajahn Brahm. And from your talks, it seems Singaporeans are terribly stressed and unenlightened. It's true (I'm Singaporean). How very sad.

[@Thisisspacemusic]

Thank you for your great talks Ajahn Brahm.

[@annebeck58]

That's so perfect.. Life can be long and sometimes arduous. We can either BE long-suffering, or we can suffer through it. When we dig in and suffer through, I think we find something more wonderful in ourselves.. Isn't it a good feeling to realise that fixing that plumbing (or car, even), ourselves. is something we have in us? I know it's a great feeling of satisfaction. Re the car, I have a 25 year-old car.. it requires a lot of work, some I can do myself. It's better than no car!

[@sistir23]

I really love your talks and enjoy them. thank you.

[@markl1473]

More people need to hear this now in 2021.

[@icefacepro]

Found this talk really healing. And the tragic irony of the hateful bigoted angry comments below seem like a bizarre response to this. There's also an irony in me focusing my attention on the negative comments instead of the good ones.

[@themusallone]

Aye! the irony indeed! :) I do the exact same thing. It really takes alot of consentration to allways do the "right" thing for ones self. Probably impossible! much luv

[@TheKrithsanamumu]

Thank you so much Ajarn Brahm. You have helped me through my difficult times. You help me look and see things in different angle. I smile and want to be happy. Your words give me energy to do things.. To want to be ok again.. I would really love to listen to your talk in person. How can I book or do you have a schedule to do the talk in Thailand? Thank you. You are such amazing person..

[@aaron___6014]

one of my favorites

[@saikatbarua6507]

great talking and lots of respect to you.

[@lordbyron3603]

Wonderful! What I needed to hear. Thank you.

[@makethemaccountable]

Bravo! "Now that's what I be talkin' about.." Yeah! Centered enlightened peace. Nice.

[@NetITGeeks]

Thank you for a great speech. I enjoyed the teachings.

[@huttuh1]

A good video that explains the 4 noble truth in a relaxing way..

[@nitinandkharat871]

very good & nice and eradicating grief ,thanks for this talk

[@therollingcricket]

Follow up question to what Ajahn Brahm said.... He said don't expect from life what it can't give you..... What can we expect from life?

[@oliveranthonyrowland]

The attitudes adjahn Brahm teaches seem to me helpful - he seems to embody how you can change your thinking to be more at peace with yourself and others and be kinder and happier. Yet I find it paradoxical that at the same time there is a fundamental pessimism in Buddhism about human life - that it is something we should want to be rid of - in order to escape into some state that no one can even describe, that can just sound like nothingness, and that I don't think I feel very drawn to.

[@danielj5266]

Why does your mind label the fact that you will die pessimism? Isn't that truth?

[@bam111965]

Just what I needed to hear today

[@SmashtheCmachine]

Yes. Yes, it does.

[@sajjadminhas6478]

Excellent very mature.

[@jackgoldman1]

True bliss is egoless. I calm, slow, still, and dissolve the ego to have true bliss in meditation. There is no me in pure being. As an ego life is exciting but also difficult to own. I am an unhappy human doing and a happy egoless pure being at the same exact time. I am really the middle path in between doing and being.

[@2020abcd]

so nicely put! Great sentiment...life's like that.

[@wikigrinder]

Needed it badly, thanks

[@pascal643]

My mind never want to stop listening, so do I

[@DharmaDaniel]

Ajahn Brahm has a great sense of humor. I find it funny when people insult him or his words because you know if he was reading through the comments he'd just have a good life and say "Life's that way." Of course then he'd be accused of being a lazy pessimist. So lazy as he does his manual labor, eats 1 meal a day, walks miles all the time for his practice and runs a whole monastery just as it's in the middle of building a brand new retreat center. But people will say bs cause life's like that

[@thexinfactor]

Thank you so much :)

[@picmedic]

Thank you for posting

[@monishbhatia]

Great lecture!

[@beaterfred]

@oliveranthonyrowland But having lived the first 20 years of my life in a buddhist country I have learned that lots of people, especially those who have a vast 'knowledge' (but not understanding) of buddhist teachings, tend to make it sound so serious and unreachable. Since I started listening to Ajahn Brahm, I have started to understand how simple and meaningful the teachings are. My advice to you is not to worry too much about the ultimate purpose, just listen to the talks and meditate and ..

[@chandikaliyanawaduge]

You must think several times b4 you make that commitment..when you are sure just walk into any monastery anywhere..If the monastery is a genuine one monks in it will help you..all the best...

[@lordbyron3603]

It’s now Three years later. Life still Sucks!

[@henryz219]

+Nessie Ness I think Mr. Brahm was just referring to most people in general. Certainly there are exceptions among all 7 billion of us. I'm also fairly certain that his one specific statement was not meant to say that every person who's not a monk is more privileged than him. I'm sorry you misunderstood him, and hope you were able to get at least one positive message from this hour-long talk.

[@marsicho]

another hour well spent. Have a wonderful day. : )

[@4882]

I like you.Your funny. you are intelligent. You seem to have a good grip on the nature of life.You remind me of many stoners I have known.Don'r underestimate the power of pride to suspend your ability to truely go foreward.

[@ktrkradio]

Take you to Scrap King baby!!!

[@roowun985]

Awesome, hope i can find a monk like this in colorado

[@calvinriley4177]

+Ru One Through the wisdom you have cultivated for yourself and others. See the monk you need to be for those you see, yourself to be.

[@roowun985]

+Calvin Riley I'm not trying to be a monk... but I hear you

[@calvinriley4177]

+Ru One A monk is a person who exercises or trains they're mind to serve all other beings. As everyones lives life, they do just that. Through conversation and participation you practice your minds ability to adapt and understand your life and the lives of others. Many different monks practice a vareity of techniques to balance their minds and then their lives.

[@oliveranthonyrowland]

Some aspects of Buddhism seem to help you to cope better with such feelings, to be more accepting of things, more appreciative and living in the moment etc, but then to have as the ultimate "goal" not existing as we know it, not living, totally detaching from everything, into some state that no one seems to describe meaningfully, it seems kind of scary. It'[s like Buddhism is saying, well life's not 100 % perfect, so I don't want it. But how do we really know there is something preferable?

[@Robert-il5db]

nice 😍✨🧘🏼‍♂️

[@SuffiniVlog]

Thank you

[@Ru-nk3xd]

❤❤❤

[@fingerprint5511]

🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@henrytee4098]

Wise sharing

[@Flow_oftheuniverse]

❤️

[@BADALEX1]

Does life suck? Sometimes! Up down up down up down. A constant wheel of not being with what we want to be with, and being with what we don't want to be with. How to tell what sucks and what doesn't? Still not sure on that one myself!

[@ryert]

couldnt have said that better myself!! :D

[@beaterfred]

@oliveranthonyrowland .. gain wisdom yourself. The reason nirvana hasn't been properly explained is because it is something to be experienced by each individual, sort of like the jhanas or deep meditation states. You can not make someone who hasn't experienced it understand it. Like explaining that the 'sky is blue' to a person blind from life. When you meditate and enter such deep states you will understand things for yourself. Buddhism is a religion of self discovery! Hope this helped! :)

[@JaySoul711]

I find perfection at Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings

[@buddha291able]

The answer is yes.

[@ryert]

Its not so much "life sucks", there is so much in this world and in life to enjoy! What is being said is how life has its problems, as well as good things. Buddhism is about how you deal with these events and accepting the good with the bad for that is life and nothing is permanent. Dealing with it in a way were you do not create nor continue suffering. Also monks are not lazy either, they do alot of their own labor, much like a farmer would.

[@normantjahjadi217]

ryert s

[@roxiroxi4181]

I confirm lord Byron... Life does sucks!!!

[@hotchairman]

How do I visit ahijan brown from Florida usa?

[@aravindprasad2332]

good vibrations

[@Liamthegreat2008]

Historical fact for if someone is browsing these comments sometime in the future: the top movie he probably would have seen advertised on the plane would be the highest-grossing movie that month, Star Trek, and he would have seen a face somewhat similar to Angelina Jolie's, Zoe Saldana. Regards, William, 2013.

[@oliveranthonyrowland]

I want to work towards having more inner peace and so on, but not existing, not being alive, don't appeal - I have been, still am somewhat, quite thanatophobic and don't like the idea of annihilation very much, and the skeptic in me fears that is all there is, and Buddhist Nirvana, with talk of emptiness and passing away, sounds too much like it. I've not found a talk yet that addresses this much, though maybe there is one there somewhere.

[@jessedover6175]

I'll have a Big Mac & a large Dr. Pepper. (Thank you, drive through)

[@oliveranthonyrowland]

@beaterfred Yes, and I kind of assume the answer is something like that. And at least Buddhism does offer some tools to try to experience it for yourself - eg. I have Ajahn Brahm's book Mindfulness, Bliss and Beyond, which aims to help you do that.

[@shaneluke346]

Oliver Rowland I found Ajahn Braum by accident , I am not religious , but I love listenning to him , he is more like a comedian than a Monk posted from the uk

[@kngxn7437]

Life DOES sucks!

[@Cheballer87]

if all my friends and family i have not heard from in a while came to see me just because i had cancer, i would pretty pissed. like really you wait till I am actually dying to visit me?

[@marilynreid5143]

does anyone say ok I can understand what you are saying but why cant i feel this way?

[@calvinriley4177]

+marilyn reidemeister You can feel all you want and shouldn't be attempting to control or confine what you mind has to feel. In turn you should focus your energy into understanding the feeling and its root cause while analyzing the many ways you can perceive the feelings more positively. And if you can't reconfigure how the negativity effects you, allow for the feelings to occur but for the outcome to be unexpected and surprisingly eye opening.

[@notoriousaristocrat7186]

Perhaps that's just it, i expect when i should instead just face it as it comes. Instead i run, yet i hope for the better. I lay here thinking i fucked everything and i am fucking everything even more by doing nothing but the moral of the story is that i am nothing who became something which was really nothing that tried to become something but just ended up being nothing.

[@1001orpheus]

Insha'Allah!!!

[@beaterfred]

@oliveranthonyrowland I thought nirvana was making complete peace with everything that goes around, i.e. you are not shaken by anything but always remain in that peaceful state of mind. Nirvana is not something that happens after you die, its what the buddha and the arhath experience. And I read somewhere a VERY confusing conversation between the buddha and a monk about what happens after an arhath (o buddha) dies. He said you both exist and cease to exist at the same time! Yeah, I didn't get it

[@madalomusic2097]

12:47. Hilarious. We could say the same thing about COVID 19 but then he'd be hung out to dry.

[@pragzter]

There are extremist "Buddhists" as well, who do advocate violence in a misguided attempt to "protect Buddhism". But a true Buddhist is never an extremist, and knows that truth is truth and nothing can destroy it. Try to humor our friend alfulani5. He just wants to prove the superiority of his beliefs by degrading ours. It's counter-productive, but he doesn't seem to get it. "Arguments with furniture are rarely productive." - Kehlog Albran, The Profit.

[@robertw2930]

should I feel guiilty that I sin everyday by wearing mixed fabrics ?

[@JWFdocumentaries]

+Robert W only if you feel guilty. om

[@robertw2930]

That my problem with duality it should be complimentary ,but it seems people take it as contradciotry. I have lost my way. It is a total reversal of the paradigm it was brought up with just liek it says in the bible about end of days. I don;t want to appeal to superstious sources but doesn;t even buddahism agree there are natural cycles of the ages . What is good today maybe bad toommorow and vice versa,

[@JWFdocumentaries]

I too am lost.. Right and wrong are in the eyes of the beholder. It's up to you to declare if your actions are sinful or not. It is also up to you to feel guilty or not for committing actions that you declare sinful. It is also up to you to commit or not commit the declared sin. Nothing is out of our power.

[@Jennifr1966]

+Jack From Manhattan My daughter does not look at fashion or brand names. If she likes something, she wears it, even if no one else likes it. It makes her feel better about herself, so she is able to be a happy, peaceful, sweet person, instead of an uncomfortable, frustrated person. I disagree, however, that there are no universal sins. Not many people would agree, for example, that it is "right" to just walk outside and find the first person who walks by and graphically slaughter them. However, I also agree that it is up to you to not commit this sin.

[@robertw2930]

Jennifer W I like wearing leggings. I'm a very touchy feely kind of person and also have back nerve issues so the tights {leggings} help even if it only placebo makes me feel better full range of motion unlike jeans which are restricting. I don't think it is fair that i see 85% of females wearing them why shouldn;t men be comfy { providing i have a long enoug t-shirt to cover the mooseknuckle } I do look at labels because certain brands are just absolute shite but I would never pay more then 40$ for a pair . IT a subjective world out there IHMO

[@tranquil87]

29:35 Ajahn Brahm's point about the bias that leads people to think they are more intelligent than average is true, but in this situation he doesn't consider the sample that he's taking it from. Saying "only 50% of *you* are above average intelligence" is not likely to be true; this is a small group of wisdom-seekers, not the average person on the streets.

[@deretreivels44]

i expect people to be brain dead amoebas or nasty devil-people and im never dissapointed

[@swag-qg6tl]

And I mean it!

[@nyg6863]

I listen and I am 1

[@frederickstewart6217]

Life sucks, Then u r reborn

[@1001orpheus]

Oh, the monks? Although uniforms are not necessary for enlightenment - they can be an aid. The monks are on the fast track to enlightenment! You don't swim with baggy pants and expect to win the Olympics... The Buddha probably thought something like that...

[@LavidaLauren]

well, we Buddhists should just keep our cool and ignore that Islam guy. We are on this site to hear the teachings of Buddha. We're not here to get angry, annoyed or argue. If he was looking for truth then we will try to explain to him but clearly that's not his goal so do not bother with him.

[@oliveranthonyrowland]

And I read somewhere a VERY confusing conversation between the buddha and a monk about what happens after an arhath (o buddha) dies. He said you both exist and cease to exist at the same time! Yeah, I didn't get it @beaterfred Yeah, or I read it is is neither existence nor non-existence or something, to put the same thing in the opposite way. But I don't find that very helpful either!

[@LawrenceMabel-y8y]

Moore Kevin Williams Ronald Brown Jason

[@1001orpheus]

No.