I read this story in the book "Don't Worry, Be Grumpy" by Ajarn Brahms. If you haven't already, give it a read. It's a really lovely book filled with inspirational and humorous stories.
English monk Ajarn Brahm studied, trained, and ordained as a Buddhist monk under Thailand's most revered Ajarn Chah.
Later, Ajarn Brahm relocated to Australia. At that time, due to the lack of Buddhists, he didn’t have assistance from followers and devotees, so he had to build the Kutis (huts for monks' residences) himself.
When constructing a kuti (monk's hut), Ajarn Brahm forgot to add two bricks to the wall. Once the wall was built, he discovered that there are two bricks had gone missing. He used to show the devotees around the monastery whenever they came, but he never took them to the location where the two bricks were left since he felt embarrassed about it.
One day the devotees just walked to that place and they started exclaiming “Wow! It looks beautiful.”
Ajarn Brahm felt shocked and taken aback. "These people found beauty in a place where I was ashamed for a whole year. It is so strange.”
“I think you have a problem with your eyes.” Smiling, Ajarn said.
"Why?" The devotees asked.
“I have forgotten to put two bricks in the middle of the wall and it is making the beautiful wall ugly. You do see that, don’t you?”
"Yes, but the rest of the wall looks beautiful; why should we care about those two bricks?"
Brahm was taken aback.
He thought; just like this how often do we find faults in ourselves, those around us, our families, our relationships, our workplaces, and life in general?
How often do we get depressed by picturing faults, mistakes, and imperfections in the things we enjoy doing and like? Because of that, we experience sadness and unhappiness.
We suffer.
Ajarn Brahm advised ‘Rather than seeing defects, faults, mistakes, and imperfections – bad sides in yourself and the things you like and do – mistakes in people around you – in a family – see good things that you have and be happy. Make those good things to be better.
You'll be happy.
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