# Stroked the boom gate — it opened

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-boom-gate-stroked-it-open
- Themes: kindness, humour, confidence
- Life situations: travel hassles

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Parking boom gate stuck; Brahm gets out, strokes the boom kindly — 'nice boom gate… can you please open?' — and it opens. Confidence matters.

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

they boom wouldn't lift up. And there was a queue developing behind them. So of course, what do you do? I got out of the car. Well, I wasn't driving, obviously, someone else was. They couldn't get the gate to work. So I just you know, that boom thing, stroked it. It's a nice boom gate. Look, you know, it's very cold outside. We have to get to the next appointment where I'm giving a talk. Can you please open? Honestly, it opened. I don't know how that works, but you try it

## Teaching point

Kindness and confidence sometimes open what force cannot.

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

When a car park boom gate wouldn't lift, Ajahn Brahm got out, stroked it, and politely asked it to open. It did. He doesn't know how, but confidence matters. The same goes for 'no hope' diagnoses: why stop at stage four? Keep your treatment, but don't give up hope. Do things differently and see how far life can go.

## Source

- [Grant Yourself a Moment of Peace | Ajahn Brahm | 11 April 2025](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZvNc4BpW_Q) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 22:41 to 23:19: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZvNc4BpW_Q&t=1361s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 20 January 2024](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLN6fGv2BJ0) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 0:20 to 0:53: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLN6fGv2BJ0&t=20s