# The burglar who came back for compassion

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-abbot-and-the-burglar
- Themes: compassion, craving, redemption, generosity
- Life situations: being robbed, responding to wrongdoing, turning life around

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

An abbot finds a knife-wielding burglar at the donation box, hands him the key, notices how thin he is and offers him leftover food — 'don't rush, there's plenty of time' — and lets him take the money as charity. The burglar is later jailed elsewhere. Five years on he returns: 'Last time I stole the wrong thing. Now I've come to take compassion and wisdom' — and asks the abbot to teach him.

## The story, as told by Ajahn Brahm (verbatim captions)

its a nice story about a monastery somewhere in the world and in the middle of the night the Abbot was woken up when he heard a noise in the main shrine room So he got up and checked, and sure enough there was a burglar in the temple. As soon as the burglar saw the Abbot the burglar was trying to open the donation box and he told the Abbot just get out of here. And the Abbot took one look at the burglar instead of actually stopping the burglar opening the donation box 'here's the key' so the burglar took it and told not to do anything But the Abbot took one look at the burglar and like many burglars and this guy was so thin. So the Abbot asked him when was the last time you ate. Burglar said 'shut up' . When I give talks I always like to wake people up every now and again (audience laughs). 'Shut up' he said. But the Abbot didn't shut up he said 'look there is some left over food from this mornings meal in the cupboard, help yourself. And the man was hungry. So just looking at the Abbot and brandishing a knife from the kitchen he said 'don't come near. He quickly sort of stuffed some food into his mouth and the Abbot said 'don't rush, there is plenty of time' and the bugler opened the donation box emptied it, took some more food and ran away saying don't call the police, Abbot said I wan't the donations are there for charity, for compassion you are a poor person just take whatever you want I will clear with the committee tomorrow So the next day when the committee heard about this At least the guy was being kind and they liked the Abbot for being kind but usually what happens a few days later that bugler was caught robbing another house somewhere and was sentenced to jail The abbot forgot all about that and few years later The bugler returned with another knife. He came and said you remember me? I robbed this temple five years ago, now I have come to rob again; but the burglar said this time; but last time I took the wrong thing I took the money Putting down his knife he said now I have come to take compassion and wisdom, please show me how you were so kind to me, even though I was about to kill you and rob your tample. So the Bugler realizing for the first time he thought that money was happiness after those five years realized that kindness is more important than money he said the first time he have stolen the wrong thing now he come to take the right thing and asked the Abbot to teach him; compassion and Kindness.

## Teaching point

Craving isn't wrong in itself; we crave the wrong things — the real wealth is kindness.

## Reflection (in the spirit of Ajahn Brahm's talk)

Faced with a knife at the donation box, the abbot handed over the key, fed the thin intruder and told him not to rush. Five years and a prison term later, the man came back to take the kindness instead. Wanting isn't the problem; wanting the wrong treasure is. Bank balances fade, but generous hearts are the real wealth.

## Source

- [The Secret | Ajahn Brahm | 30 Dec 2007](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9e-y1Xn4N8Q) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 23:38 to 26:58: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9e-y1Xn4N8Q&t=1418s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Freeing Problems With Metta | by Ajahn Brahm | 30 Jan 2009](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OswcrsyGQN0) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 40:47 to 44:19: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OswcrsyGQN0&t=2447s
- [What Do You Want? | Ajahn Brahm | 06-05-2011](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95XfzIJ-ov0) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 19:22 to 26:08: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95XfzIJ-ov0&t=1162s
- [How to Keep Giving Without Reward | Ajahn Brahm | 02-05-2014](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Krhmz-dau0s) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 33:19 to 38:39: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Krhmz-dau0s&t=1999s
- [Feeling the Delight in the Body | Ajahn Brahm | 23 June 2020](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kf-lV2IrOPA) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:42 to 6:46: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kf-lV2IrOPA&t=102s
- [Happiness and Wanting | Ajahn Brahm | 24 February 2023](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taAa3uWPm2o) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:07:51 to 1:09:09: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taAa3uWPm2o&t=4071s
- [How to deal with abusive relationships | Ajahn Brahm | 13-03-2015](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuGKQmP7jZs) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 15:46 to 16:33: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuGKQmP7jZs&t=946s
- [Generosity and Kindness | Ajahn Brahm | 13 January 2023](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVzsAkIQi1Q) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 2:56 to 14:00: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVzsAkIQi1Q&t=176s
- [Why Me? | Ajahn Brahm | 27 May 2022](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYf1B_mIWC4) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 30:39 to 31:46: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYf1B_mIWC4&t=1839s
- [Justice | Ajahn Brahm | 14-10-2011](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mACT5JL4qNI) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 23:26 to 25:58: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mACT5JL4qNI&t=1406s
- [Buddhist Position on Issues | Ajahn Brahm | 11 Dec 2015](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ychcN_FmlqM) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 49:04 to 49:49: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ychcN_FmlqM&t=2944s