She signed a blank cheque so the refugee could see her dying mother

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• 'Welcome to Australia, mate. Have a beer.'

  In brief: A Vietnamese boat person, just in sight of the Australian shore, was greeted by two West Australian fishermen: 'Welcome to Australia,…

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  I don't know if you know that one of those boat people years ago know he's uh that's right he was uh from he was was it Bangladesh no from Vietnam also Vietnamese and when he arrived you know in Australia actually just in sight of shore he received this wonderful welcome to Australia by these two West Australian fishermen These two West Australian fishermen shouted at him, "Welcome to Australia, mate. Have a beer." And he always remembered that. And eventually, you know, got settled in South Australia and became the governor of South Australia for two terms.

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• Eye shade for a stranger at Changi

  In brief: At Changi Airport a Western woman could not sleep on a busy bench after an overnight flight. Ajahn Brahm, carrying eye shades for…

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  I was going through Changi Airport and saw this Western woman, she was trying to get some sleep on one of the benches and she was moving out all over the place because she'd obviously done an overnight flight and it was in the middle of the day and so busy, she couldn't get any sleep. And I carry all these —what's it called—eye shades because I get these eye shades, I use them for meditation retreats so people can actually meditate and not see things. I had one in my pocket so I... I'd never seen this girl before in my life, and I said, "You're having a hard time sleeping; try one of these." I just remember the look on her face: it was astounded. What? Someone's being kind to me? I don't even know them. And I gave it to her and said, "Have a nice sleep," and walked away. And I know that I made that woman's... certainly her day maybe her week, her month. Simple thing like that just means so much in this world

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• Lakshmi's knitted socks on Friday night

  In brief: Before a Friday talk Lakshmi gave him hand-knitted socks he rarely wears; he put them on anyway, and during the talk she delighted that he…

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  she gave me a pair of socks. I never wear socks. Very, very, very, very, very rarely, but she gave me some socks. She knitted them herself. So, I put them on for the Friday night talk. And during the Friday night talk, you know, it's just I'm getting old. You have to move every now and again. And I was moving and I just put a foot out with a sock on. And I remember you actually you said he's wearing my socks. He's wearing my socks

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• He only meant to give her lifts

  In brief: After divorce a man rehoming his pedigree dog met an elderly woman who needed rides to doctor and dentist; he happily took time off work…

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  he had used to have this pedigree dog. And being divorced and just staying in a small apartment somewhere that uh he couldn't look after the dog. So, he saw if he could find other owners of a similar breed so he can give the dog to somebody else to be looked after. And that actually got him in contact with the this old lady. And the old lady didn't want the dog, but she said, "Well, if you don't mind uh I don't have any transport and I do have some business every now and again go to see the doctor or going to see the dentist in town and it's just too difficult for me to get the bus." And he said because he was a kind person, he said, "Oh, well, I'll I'll give you a lift whenever you want." He was owning his own business, running his own little show, not making very much, but you know, he's getting by. And he said that one day after maybe a year or two of him giving her a lift, he said, "I always loved serving." He always loved whenever she called and said, "Is it too much trouble?" He said, "No, no, I'm very happy to take time away from the office and take you to where you need to go." You just Have you ever noticed when you are kind, when you just say what you're not for me or for somebody else, you get so much good energy? I always do that because it's not some some of the stuff which I do, I shouldn't really be doing it, but it's a wonderful thing to be able to help someone else and do something else and do something which is sometimes really silly stupid. I mean stupid, but kind. And before I go back to this gentleman and what happened with this old lady, that I remember just sitting here on a Friday night many years ago. And that um just before the uh the talk, I got a call from Singapore that the husband of one of our um supporters had really helped us so many times. Even just when we got John Cowell for our retreat center, we just didn't have enough money to pay the bills. And when I went to over to Thailand, she said, "How much?" And I said, "Here's a check." She did it. And a a little Well, maybe a little thing or big thing like that, I always remember that. People really helped me, got me out of difficult situations. I will never forget you. Her husband died. And they called up I think in the morning of Friday. And said, "Can you come, please, tomorrow for the funeral on Saturday?" I said, "That's impossible. I've got to give a talk on a Friday night. I've got so many things to do. It's a really stupid thing to try and probably won't be able to get a flight." So, I rang up Singapore Airlines and got a flight. Leaving right after the Friday night talk. That's so stupid. I just arrived in Singapore on Saturday morning, sort of really tired, half asleep, but did the funeral for her. I do love doing things like that. It's absolutely ridiculous. I should look after my health, but actually my health was great. Why is that? Even you don't have any sleep, you know, and you've still got full energy. It is because you're getting into a source of energy and power, which is from kindness, from love, from giving, from just doing something for the sake of someone needs you. And so, back to this gentleman who used to come to our Buddhist Society many years ago. This old lady called him and said, "Look, I'm sorry to disturb you again, but I've got to go and see my lawyer and it's just really hard getting sort of the buses and stuff and where my lawyer lives and I'm very old, it's very hard to walk." So, he had no worries. I'm delighted to take an hour off work and then just come and look after you. It's I enjoy it. And so, he took her to the lawyer and he usually parked his car outside. So, he said, "No, I really need you to come in." And I thought to sign some some documents and I'll be a witness or something. And then found the reason why she wanted to have him in the lawyer's office. And he told me this here many years ago. He said it was because she was making him the sole beneficiary of her of her of her will

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