It's All The Same Anyway

It's All The Same Anyway



One of the stories which I find interesting in the book, "Opening The Door of Your Heart", by Ajahn Brahm, is the one on his 'Enlightenment'.

There was one night Ajahn Brahm was doing walking meditation till late.

As he went deeper into the meditation, insights came cascading down like a waterfall, dawning him.

He felt, "This is it!"

He did not sleep much that night, yet he felt very energised.

And also, exceptionally happy.

The day after his 'enlightenment', as usual, he went for his meal.

One meal a day.

The Abbot of monastery was in front of him, and he's 2nd in line.

That special day, instead of the usual rotten fish curry which they have to eat day after day, they were given another pot of pork curry.

Even the Devas are celebrating his 'enlightenment', he thought.

Ajahn Brahm watched in earnest anticipation as the Abbot took 3 huge ladleful of the delicious pork curry.

But there's still plentiful left, thought Ajahn Brahm, and besides, he's the next in line, so it's ok.

So, imagine Ajahn Brahm's astonishment and anguish when after scooping the pork curry in his bowl,

The Abbot of the monastery, instead of passing it over to Ajahn Brahm,

Poured the whole pot of delicious pork curry into the rotten fish curry, and stirred them together, telling Ajahn Brahm, "It's all the same anyway."

Ajahn Brahm was fuming mad.

Hopping mad.

"What do you mean it's all the same anyway?! If it's all the same, why didn't you mix them up before taking that 3 huge ladleful of pork curry yourself?! You ......... !"


Then, suddenly, a realisation struck Ajahn Brahm : Enlightened ones do not have preferences over food, nor do they get angry.

At that point, of course Ajahn Brahm realised he's NOT enlightened after all.

He was so dispirited he didn't care what he had to eat.

But, the point I want to make is not about Ajahn Brahm.

Rather, about the Abbot.

He's absolutely Right!

It's all the same anyway.

Rotten fish curry, pork curry, chicken curry, mutton curry, beef curry, whatever curry.

No matter how good and delicious the food looks on the table,

When it goes into your mouth, down the oesophagus, into your stomach, all the way to the intestines and colon and out from the rectum, it's ALL the same anyway.

You can eat food that's attractively coloured, in hues of blue, green, yellow, pink, orange, red and even gold.

But when it comes out from the bottom, it's all the same black, brown or yellow.

Or, when you put them in your mouth and start chewing them to bits and pieces, swallowed them down your throat and they're grind by the concentrated hydrochloric acid in your stomach,

By a mere chance you have a stomach discomfort or upset, when you start throwing them up, or releasing them down, it doesn't look as appealing and appetising anymore, does it?

So why even bother eating in expensive restaurants, paying huge sums of money for a meal,

When it's All The Same anyway?




"There are many facets to Dhamma."