# The suggestion box at Barre

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-barre-suggestion-box
- Themes: fault-finding, perfectionism, humour, gratitude
- Life situations: complaining, workplace improvement, community organisations

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

A well-funded meditation centre in Barre, Massachusetts — one of the first places for meditation retreats in the West — wondered what more it could do and put in a suggestion box. It filled up within an hour. The closer you get to perfection, the more faults you find.

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

once I remember this uh meditation center in Barry, Massachusetts, one of the first uh places where you can do meditation retreats. And they put a lot of money into that. And then one day they decided, you know, what more can we do? Let's put in like a suggestions box. Now, we don't have suggestion boxes here. Thank goodness. [laughter] because the suggestion box filled up within an hour and they thought they' done so cuz it's easy the closer you get to perfection the more uh faults you find.

## Teaching point

Fault-finding grows as things improve; appreciate what is good enough.

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

A well-run meditation centre put out a suggestion box, and it filled within an hour. The closer things get to perfect, the more faults we notice. Ajahn Brahm jokes about charging people to leave his centre instead. Notice how good things already are. Most beautiful things happen freely, from kindness.

## Source

- [Emotional Intelligence and Acceptance | Ajahn Brahm | 19 May 2023](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejSaOOQ3VrY) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 5:47 to 6:37: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejSaOOQ3VrY&t=347s