# The brochure that opened the till

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-hardware-opened-the-cash-register
- Themes: humour, embarrassment, Australia, building
- Life situations: awkward public moments, shopping

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Old-fashioned hardware counter; given a laminex brochure to choose colours; sets it on the electronic till and opens the cash drawer — thousands of dollars spill out in front of the monk.

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

laminex or something and so I had to break they gave me the brocher choose your color while I went to serve other people there's so many people about the cter oldfashioned shop you not like these big Bunnings know super super shops know with bit of personal service they gave me the the brochure and I was trying to find a place to put it down and flip through the pages and so actually I just went around behind the counter and the only place I could put it on was you know the the till the cash register it was one of these electronic ones so as soon as I put it down I must have pressed the key for opening the cash

## Teaching point

Sometimes the only place to put the brochure is the wrong button.

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

Setting a brochure down at a busy hardware store, Ajahn Brahm hit the till key, and the day's cash spilled out with a ding. Builders shouted that the monk was stealing. The owner just said monks don't even touch money, and walked off. Years of honesty had earned total trust. Imagine a world where everyone earned that.

## Source

- [Living With Non-Buddhists | Ajahn Brahm | 21-01-2011](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PR0w_6F8xDs) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 46:53 to 47:32: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PR0w_6F8xDs&t=2813s

Other tellings of this story:

- [How To Retire | Ajahn Brahm | 30 June 2020](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qc7J9QC2KdI) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:42 to 2:09: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qc7J9QC2KdI&t=102s
- [Secular Buddhism and Reincarnation | Ajahn Brahm | 13 December 2024](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QzWCNEguA0) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 22:32 to 24:51: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QzWCNEguA0&t=1352s