# Chanting brought the Dhammasara price down

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-dhammasara-chanting-got-the-price-down
- Themes: monastery founding, faith, humour, nuns
- Life situations: buying property, starting a community

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Looking at a noisy 38-acre option for the nuns, they notice a 583-acre property of solitude nearby. Against the fear they cannot afford it, they look anyway. An hour before the deal Ajahn Brahm and another monk do 'powerful super chanting' to bring the price down — and they get Dhammasara.

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

You know, about Dhammasara, the container on Sunday, that place. Again, Bianca, she's not here this evening, with her partner Ron, going down Kitchigano, there was that 38-acre property. And just went down there, and he was No, come on. You know, you can't treat nuns like that. It's a small little place, really noisy. But on the way there, there was another property, 583 acres of solitude. And I said, "Let's have a look." I said, "No, no way. We can't afford that. 30 acres is way above our" "No, let's have a look. It doesn't cost anything to look." And of course, you know, eventually we bought it. That's Dhammasara. We don't know how that happened. I went in there with another monk an hour before. We really did some chanting. We really laid it on thick. Powerful super chanting to try to get the price down. And it worked. We got it. Now, don't you try that if you're trying to buy a house or a property. Don't invite the monks first of all, please.

## Teaching point

Sometimes you look anyway; inspiration and a bit of faith open what the budget said was impossible.

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

Viewing a noisy little block for the nuns, they spotted 583 acres of solitude nearby: far too expensive, Ajahn Brahm said. Look anyway. After some 'super chanting' an hour before the deal, Dhammasara was theirs; don't invite monks to your house purchase, he jokes. Sometimes it's worth looking beyond what seems possible.

## Source

- [Energy in our Body and Mind from Inspiration | Ajahn Brahm | 2 November 2018](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWz3LAAj-J0) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 37:48 to 39:06: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWz3LAAj-J0&t=2268s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Transcending Negativity of Our World | Ajahn Brahm | 12 April 2019](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8WL9MQss2o) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 4:39 to 5:36: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8WL9MQss2o&t=279s
- [Letting Go | Ajahn Brahm | 15 May 2026](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PegeDdxN3WI) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 23:50 to 28:54: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PegeDdxN3WI&t=1430s
- [Friday Night Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 12 April 2019](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuRAcMjVqgs) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 43:38 to 46:17: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuRAcMjVqgs&t=2618s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 14 February 2026](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWVWUYrKJTs) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:01:08 to 1:03:03: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWVWUYrKJTs&t=3668s