# Walking into the DMZ

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-korea-dmz-peace-walk
- Themes: anxiety, peace, humour, courage
- Life situations: facing danger, travel, public events

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

During the brief Trump–Kim thaw, Ajahn Brahm joins a peace conference in South Korea. The senior monks are to lead a fast three-hour meditation walk into the demilitarised zone; the most senior is too busy and Ajahn Ganha is sick, so he leads some 6,000 Jogye Buddhists in. He wasn't anxious at all — though, he admits, he was shot many times: click, click — photographed and videoed.

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

the last time I saw this monk that was in the demilitarized zone. I mentioned that story a couple of years ago. I went to Korea, South Korea and was having a peace movement at the time. That was a time when you may remember it over a year and a half ago when Donald Trump and Kim Jong- fell in love. That's what it said on the newspapers. Anyway, [laughter] so anyway, so they wanted to move on that and just have this the big peace conference up there. So I went there to join in and I thought it was a really worthwhile thing to do. But then they had these big senior monks. I was one of the senior monks. They wanted us to go on this walk, meditation walk inside the deulatory zone. Wow. The senior monk. No, he couldn't go because he was busy. Ajan Ganha, he was sick. So that left your own aan. Yay. Would you have allowed me to do that? It was a three-hour walk really fast. No rest b leading oh 6,000 uh jogj yeah yeah jog jj buddhists over into the de DMC demilitarized zone walking yeah so off I went just doing that had a wonderful time could you do that would you be anxious no I wasn't anxious at all but I must admit I did mention at the time There was a lot of shooting in there. There was I can't lie to you. I was shot a few times. Actually, many times click. Click. Photographed and videoed and stuff.

## Teaching point

Anxiety builds on itself; without it you can walk calmly even into a 'dangerous' place.

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

Ajahn Brahm ended up leading six thousand people on a peace walk into Korea's demilitarised zone and felt no anxiety at all, though he admits he was shot many times, by cameras. Anxiety grows as we feed one fearful thought with another. Catch it early, and even a dangerous place can be walked calmly.

## Source

- [Dealing With Anxiety | Ajahn Brahm | 31 January 2020](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MRPqISIZ3M) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 28:36 to 30:32: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MRPqISIZ3M&t=1716s

Other tellings of this story:

- [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 4:52 to 9:50: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWz3LAAj-J0&t=292s
- [2022 January (1/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSl9f1_vJNA) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 43:54 to 44:57: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSl9f1_vJNA&t=2634s
- [Meditation in Trying Times - Armadale Meditation Group | Ajahn Brahm | 17 May 2022](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-REkEnSRIc) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 11:41 to 13:26: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-REkEnSRIc&t=701s