# Keep the cage door open

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Analogy
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-bird-cage-door-open
- Themes: freedom, relationships, power, analogy
- Life situations: controlling relationships, parenting

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Analogy: lock a bird and when the door finally opens it never returns; leave the door open and comfort inside — it flies and comes back. Power vs freedom in relationships.

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

bird in a cage if I were a bird in a cage sooner or later if you keep locking the door and they can't get out sooner or later there's probability eventually that door be left open and that bird will fly away never to come back again alas it's got its freedom that's what happens when you keep a bird in a cage instead if you keep a bird in the cage door is left open bliss a nice cage nice food very comfortable and if the bird does fly away it always come back again

## Teaching point

Control that locks the door teaches the bird to leave forever.

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

Lock a bird in a cage, and when the door finally opens, it flies off for good. Leave the door open with good food and comfort, and it keeps coming back. Relationships work the same way. Control drives people away; trust and freedom keep them close. Ajahn Brahm can't control his monks either. Open the door.

## Source

- [Power | Ajahn Brahm | 16 Nov 2007](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbjNdjXK7RU) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 41:15 to 41:50: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbjNdjXK7RU&t=2475s