# Giving away the motorbike before ordination

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-gave-away-the-motorbike
- Themes: renunciation, ordination, generosity
- Life situations: career change, letting go of stuff

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Before Thailand he realises monks cannot keep a motorbike (robes balloon on one ride); he does not need the money — he wants to give the bike away.

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

motorbike and I was going to become a monk and I knew enough about Buddhism that monks can't ride motorbikes there's a good reason for that that only once in my life as a monk have I ridden on the back of a motorbike once and never again cuz when you're on a motorbike with these robes the air gets inside it balloons up and you have to hang on because everything is trying to blow you off it doesn't work with these robes so never again but I had a motorbike when I was a lay person a nice Mo nice bike I thought what am I going to do with this I can't take it to Thailand you can't ride a motorbike as a monk and I don't need the money cuz monks don't have money so I want to give it away

## Teaching point

Ordination begins with what you are willing to give away.

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

Before leaving to become a monk, young Ajahn Brahm tried to give away his motorbike. People assumed it was cursed. Finally his mother had to convince one man he wasn't mad. That man never forgot it: nobody had ever given him anything like that. Generosity can startle people. Give anyway.

## Source

- [Seeing the goodness in the world | Ajahn Brahm | 28-11-2014](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPJ6aCrkgXY) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 28:00 to 28:50: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPJ6aCrkgXY&t=1680s