# She called the police on the Zen stick

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-hong-kong-zen-stick-called-police
- Themes: Zen, culture change, humour, meditation
- Life situations: outdated methods, cultural clash

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

A Hong Kong / mainland China Zen retreat: the master hits a sleepy middle-aged woman with the waking stick; she pulls out a phone, calls the police — hitting people is an offence — and the monk is arrested; retreat ends.

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

this monk came along with the Zen stick and it was this middle-aged woman she was falling asleep when she was meditating and so the Zen monk the master hit her on the back with an instinct you know what she did got out a cell phone and called the police it's an offense to hit people and the police took the monk away arrested him

## Teaching point

Methods that once woke sleepers can end a retreat in a phone age.

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

When a Zen master struck a dozing woman with his waking stick, she pulled out her phone and called the police. He was arrested and the retreat ended. Ajahn Brahm prefers the lessons of Thai mosquitoes. They forced him to relax so deeply his body disappeared. Kindness and relaxation work better than force.

## Source

- [Meaning of Life | Ajahn Brahm | 21 February 2020](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nHnVOw9lWg) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 25:38 to 26:10: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nHnVOw9lWg&t=1538s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 8 July 2023](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BSTZS4VF7Q) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:19:17 to 1:19:56: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BSTZS4VF7Q&t=4757s
- [Friday Night Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 28 February 2025](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3828056dkTE) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 0:24 to 1:25: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3828056dkTE&t=24s
- [Day 3 Morning talk on Stillness Nov 2013 Ajahn Brahm Retreat](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsU2mJ0_9us) (BSWA Retreats 2011-15 & Media) — watch from 34:10 to 34:40: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsU2mJ0_9us&t=2050s