A delightful book full of tales of hope, love, forgiveness, freedom from fear, and overcoming pain which cleverly relates the timeless wisdom of the Buddha's teachings and the true path to happiness. In nearly 30 years as a Buddhist monk, born in the West but trained in the Thai forest tradition, Ajahn Brahm has gathered many poignant, funny and profound stories. In this collection of teaching stories are many true-to-life tales, which are used to launch a deeper exposition of mindfulness, wisdom, love and compassion. Ajahn Brahm also relates wise teachings from his renowned and saint-like teacher, Ajahn Chah. His younger years in the Thai forest provided fertile ground for humour when, for instance, he had to eat boiled frog on rice for his only meal of the day. The stories that emerge are thoughtful, funny and enlightening. Told with wit and wisdom, these tales reveal the qualities of devotion, humility and diligence. They also expose moments of insight, wisdom and compassion in the lives of ordinary people. During his wanderings and work over the last thirty years as a Buddhist monk, Ajahn Brahm has gathered many poignant, funny and profound stories. While traditional Buddhist philosophy is at the heart of this collection, these thoughtful stories are written like playful parables, which are used to launch into a deeper exploration of subjects such as mindfulness, suffering, forgiveness, hope, wisdom and unconditional love. Told with wit and good humour, they reveal moments of compassion in the lives of ordinary people and the timeless wisdom of the Buddha's teachings.
