# The kids throwing stones on Bunbury beach

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-bunbury-beach-stone-throwers
- Themes: confidence, self-esteem, prejudice, humour
- Life situations: being harassed, being judged by appearance, bullying

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

In the early years in Australia, while Ajahn Brahm meditates on Bunbury beach, stones start whizzing past his ears. He stands up and walks towards the six or seven kids, who scatter; catching up, he asks why they're throwing stones — he's a Buddhist monk. “Oh, sorry! We thought you were an orange person. Buddhist monks are cool.”

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

once they threw stones at me. And that was over in Bunbury beach many years ago. These kids - I was just meditating there, minding my own business - and this stone came whizzing past my ears. Very good they were bad shots, but as they got closer and closer, I thought I better do something. So I just stood up and turned around. And there were these kids. For those of you who were old enough, that was when the orange people were here. They thought I was an orange person, fair enough mistake, this is pretty orange. But I actually started walking to them, and it's amazing, when you face people who do things like that, as soon as I started walking <u>towards</u> them, they started running away. [laughs] There was about six or seven kids there, and they could have easily beaten me up, but just the confidence there was enough to get them to scatter. And I just rushed after them, caught them up, and said "Look, why are you throwing stones? I'm a Buddhist monk". "Ohh, you're a Buddhist monk, sorry! We thought you were an orange person. Buddhist monks are cool.

## Teaching point

Confidence, not retaliation, disarms people who try to put you down.

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

Stones whizzed past Ajahn Brahm's ears as he meditated on Bunbury beach. He stood, turned and walked calmly towards the half-dozen boys, and they scattered; when he caught up, they apologised for mistaking him for an orange person. Calm confidence often disarms hostility better than anger. When you're put down, you can face it without losing your sense of worth.

## Source

- [No-Self Esteem | by Ajahn Brahm](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXd09oGHD0I) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 4:30 to 5:31: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXd09oGHD0I&t=270s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Getting Along with Difficult Family Members | Ajahn Brahm | 18 June 2021](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SKiukqiAK8) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 8:37 to 10:33: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SKiukqiAK8&t=517s
- [Growing from Difficulties | Ajahn Brahm | 3 April 2020](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0EQZ-nakfo) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 17:13 to 19:11: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0EQZ-nakfo&t=1033s
- [Finding Positivity in People | Ajahn Brahm | 22 March 2019](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HqPMVOML58) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 29:40 to 30:18: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HqPMVOML58&t=1780s
- [Spirituality and Worldly Problems | Ajahn Brahm | 5 March 2021](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o-E2VJLQ-o) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 7:16 to 7:54: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o-E2VJLQ-o&t=436s
- [Thanks A Lot For Gratitude | Ajahn Brahm | 4 Jan 2008](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3hLLsPO5mE) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 15:01 to 16:00: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3hLLsPO5mE&t=901s
- [Content and Easily Satisfied - Armadale Meditation Group | Ajahn Brahm | 14 March 2023](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRCoonJk1U4) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 22:34 to 23:52: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRCoonJk1U4&t=1354s