# The bank robber who sat down to wait

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-bank-robber-sat-down-to-wait
- Themes: crime, surrender, humour, expectations
- Life situations: consequences, giving up the chase

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

True-story newspaper item: after robbing a bank the man sits in the foyer and waits to be arrested — expectations/surrender image.

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

After he robbed the bank, he went into the the foyer and just sat down on a chair and waited to be arrested. And sooner the police came and they said, "You know, you're the guy who robbed the bank." He said, "Yeah, here's the money. I confess." And when he went to trial, they asked him, "Why did you do that?" "Well, I told my wife it's it's so noisy. I had I had such a difficult time living in the house with you. I thought, you know, I could go to jail instead. It'd be more peaceful

## Teaching point

Sometimes the heist ends when you stop running.

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

A man robbed a bank and sat down to wait for police. In court he explained home was so noisy he'd hoped jail would be peaceful. The judge gave him home detention. Ajahn Brahm laughs, then turns gentle. When life gets hard and you feel low, there are always ways through. Reach for help instead of an escape.

## Source

- [Checking Your Expectations | Ajahn Brahm | 17 December 2021](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DEK6Ag_0go) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 32:13 to 32:51: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DEK6Ag_0go&t=1933s