STORY 16 – ONE THING AT A TIME

by Ayya Seri Bhikkhuni

This was a teaching that I received from my teacher ten years ago in 2012.

There was a time I found a big tear in my robe. In the forest Theravada tradition, the monastics only have one robe. I had to stitch a patch on my robe by hand as we did not have a sewing machine.

I told Ayya Vayama Bhikkhuni Theri I was going to do the sewing in my room and listen to a Dhamma talk at the same time. She turned around and looked at me. She reminded me that as a monastic, I should practise staying in the present moment and be aware and mindful of what I was doing in front of me.

This meant ‘doing one thing at a time’. If I would like to listen to a Dhamma talk, I should give my full attention to the talk. If I would like to repair my robe, I should pay full attention to the sewing.

I repaired my robe that afternoon. I did not listen to the Dhamma Talk.

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