# Teased on the Charles Street bus

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-bus-heckler-long-hair
- Themes: teasing, freedom, non-reaction, humour
- Life situations: being teased, looking different, bullying

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

In the early Perth days people mock his robes: 'women's clothes', 'Hare Krishna', 'get a proper job'. On a bus down Charles Street some young men tease him, so he gives as good as he gets: 'You've got long hair — you're like a girl. Shave it all off like me.' The moment he fights back unembarrassed, they're the ones embarrassed.

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

And I remember going on a bus once and just uh down Charles Street. Uh and then somebody started teasing me. And so I said I'd go and give as good as I got. I said, "You know, you got long hair. You're like a girl. You should shave all off like me." And as soon as I started fighting back, the other guys they got really embarrassed. And the reason was because I was not going to get embarrassed. I was not going to be controlled. I was going to sort of have some fun.

## Teaching point

If you won't be embarrassed, you can't be controlled by others' words.

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

Young men on a Perth bus mocked his robes, so he cheerfully told them their long hair made them look like girls and they should shave it off like him. Suddenly they were the embarrassed ones. Taunts only work if you take them on. Refuse to be embarrassed, have a bit of fun, and the words lose their grip.

## Source

- [Control and Freedom | Ajahn Brahm | 05-01-2007](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKxKGFw6B68) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 23:43 to 24:12: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKxKGFw6B68&t=1423s

Other tellings of this story:

- [What is Ego? | Ajahn Brahm | 17 May 2024](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5V1tsQHSkk) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 54:30 to 55:14: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5V1tsQHSkk&t=3270s