# 'Number one!'

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-alms-round-one-finger-sign
- Themes: offence, humour, choice, perception
- Life situations: being insulted, road rage, rudeness

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

On the monks' Saturday-morning alms round in Perth, a young Australian gave Ajahn Brahm the one-finger sign. He chose not to be offended: maybe the man was really saying the monks were number one — Buddhism is the best — and just held up the wrong finger. Very unlikely, he admits, but it could have been.

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

the last time I went on arms round, this uh young Aussie guy saw us and gave me the one finger sign. Now, they gave you know, you know, you know the one finger sign. I'm not going to demonstrate it here, otherwise you may think that I'm doing this on purpose rather than just a demonstration for um educational purposes. So, they gave me the one finger sign. So there you had a choice again to be offended or to laugh or to even see if you can perceive it in a positive way. So I looked upon that and saying what he was really saying but he just got the finger the wrong wrong way round that we were number one Buddhism is the best. So that's where you have the choice and I exercise that choice not to get offended and interpret it. I mean, it's very unlikely that that was actually the truth, but it could have been.

## Teaching point

You choose whether to receive offence; when people can't offend you, they stop trying.

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

On alms round in Perth, a young man gave Ajahn Brahm the finger. He chose to read it as 'Buddhists are number one', with the wrong finger. Unlikely, he admits. But taking offence only hurts you, sometimes for years. Give the benefit of the doubt. People soon stop trying to offend someone who won't take it.

## Source

- [Living Without Blame | Ajahn Brahm | 05-12-2014](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MR5c4h7Tmo0) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 34:34 to 35:34: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MR5c4h7Tmo0&t=2074s