# If they flush the holy book — call a plumber

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-flush-holy-book-call-a-plumber
- Themes: religion, priorities, humour, tolerance
- Life situations: religious offence, interfaith tension

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

After Guantanamo Quran-flushing news, someone asks what he would do if a Buddhist holy book were flushed. First answer: call a plumber. Then: you can flush the book or blow up Bamiyan statues, but not Buddhism — peace and forgiveness.

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

flushing the Holy Quran down the toilet. "What would have happened if you flushed a Buddhist holy text down the toilet, Ajahn Brahm?" I said.. yeah you can flush as many Buddhist holy texts down the toilet as you like, you can blast the Buddha Statues, you can burn down this temple and kill all the monks and nuns, but I would never allow you to flush Buddhism down the toilet

## Teaching point

Protect the living Dhamma, not the paper — and fix the toilet.

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

Asked what he'd do if someone flushed a Buddhist holy book down the toilet, Ajahn Brahm said: call a plumber. Then the deeper answer. Books, statues, temples and monks are containers; peace, forgiveness and harmony are the contents. Protect what's inside. Nobody can destroy your kindness unless you let them.

## Source

- [Word of the Buddha (part 4) | Ajahn Brahm | 26 February 2017](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxIVyCp8NVE) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 45:05 to 45:28: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxIVyCp8NVE&t=2705s

Other tellings of this story:

- [The Right to Believe? | Ajahn Brahm | 18-05-2007](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1Prm3nAvFs) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 15:35 to 16:18: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1Prm3nAvFs&t=935s
- [Building Hearts Not Halls | Ajahn Brahm | 01-01-2010](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpJLYVTqnUY) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 13:06 to 14:49: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpJLYVTqnUY&t=786s
- [Intellectual Materialism | Ajahn Brahm | 15 Jan 2016](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbGLQATIWfc) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 4:50 to 6:23: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbGLQATIWfc&t=290s
- [Devotion | Ajahn Brahm | 30-07-2010](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IbAy-OuLfo) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 3:08 to 5:00: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IbAy-OuLfo&t=188s
- [Justice | Ajahn Brahm | 14-10-2011](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mACT5JL4qNI) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 5:56 to 7:14: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mACT5JL4qNI&t=356s
- [Expanding Your Circle of Compassion | Ajahn Brahm | 08 December 2017](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82YR5zJpcQc) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 36:54 to 37:31: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82YR5zJpcQc&t=2214s
- [Terrorism and Peace | Ajahn Brahm | 20 Nov 2015](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_c9GDnNME8) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 4:04 to 6:16: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_c9GDnNME8&t=244s
- [Rituals - How And Why](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHS8_D0nnOg) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 52:11 to 52:41: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHS8_D0nnOg&t=3131s
- [Materialisme Intelektual | Ajahn Brahm | 15 Januari 2016](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCbXHr1k64k) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 4:48 to 6:23: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCbXHr1k64k&t=288s