# Even the monk got excited at the auction

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-land-auction-excitement
- Themes: emotions, manipulation, awareness
- Life situations: pressure sales, impulsive decisions

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Bidding for land for the nuns' monastery, Ajahn Brahm watches the auctioneer move from a calm description to rapid, rising calls — and finds that even he, a monk, gets swept up in the excitement.

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

One of the first times when I saw this, how people can play your emotions is actually when we started our nun's monastery down in Gingegannup because that was before Sister Vayama was here, and we were looking for a nice piece of land, we found this nice piece of land over in Reen Road but it was on auction. And so I went there for the auction, with - I don't know if he's here this evening - Eddy Fernando was our bidder. But when the auctioneer started the auction he was very calm, saying about this beautiful block of land, wonderful place for retreat, lovely forests and the river and then he started mentioning the figures.. And he said, I think this is worth so much, I think we should start for at least a million dollars. And straight away I thought, "oh no". And then he bids for one million, and of course no one bid, any bids for five hundred thousand, four hundred, three hundred.. Let's start two-fifty. Someone put their hand up - two-fifty. And that's when he started - two-fifty two-fifty, we've got two-seventy-five, two-seventy-five, two-seventy-five, anyone two-seventy-five! We've got two-seventy-five!! Three-hundred, three-hundred, wawawawawawa..!! [laughter]. And even I was a monk, even I started getting excited.

## Teaching point

Emotions can be generated by speed, voice and rhythm; seeing how they are built gives you some power over them.

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

A rising voice and a quickening rhythm, and even a monk felt the thrill of the bidding. Feelings can be manufactured by sales pitches, headlines and heated arguments. Once you see how they're built, you needn't be carried off by them. It works in reverse too: slowing down and speaking softly calms you and everyone around you.

## Source

- [Dealing with Emotions | Ajahn Brahm | 15-06-2007](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17_TtOysQOA) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 7:50 to 9:13: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17_TtOysQOA&t=470s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Talk Your Way To Happiness | Ajahn Brahm | 09-02-2007](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7d-KozmokQ) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 42:30 to 43:23: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7d-KozmokQ&t=2550s
- [MN139 Aranavibhanga Sutta - Non Conflict | Ajahn Brahm | 11 July 2021](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTgkRor-qgM) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 48:04 to 49:02: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTgkRor-qgM&t=2884s