# A map to the toilet

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-mansion-toilet-map
- Themes: wealth, loneliness, attachment, possessions
- Life situations: wealth, living alone, big house

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Blessing a riverside mansion in Perth, Ajahn Brahm asks the way to the toilet and the lady draws him a map. Ten or twelve bedrooms — and she lives there alone. Why not have friends or relatives stay? “I am afraid of my relations.”

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

that house which I went to bless I won't say where in one of the suburbs in Perth was on the river and when I went there, this huge mansion and this is no joke when I went there I was travelling from serpentine I needed to go to the toilet. And when I asked the lady where is the toilet she got out a piece of paper and drew me a map. That's a big house. It's true... that's what ... . But the point was I asked how many people live in this house I don't know how many bedrooms-10 12 bedrooms ..she said just me. I live in this house alone. And you'll find in many of those big mansions may be one person, two at most. Isn't that telling you something? What it's telling you is that in those big places people are imprisoned by their wealth. You know why ... when I asked why don't you have some friends and relations? she said 'I am afraid of my relations'

## Teaching point

In big mansions people are often imprisoned by their wealth.

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

The riverside mansion was so large its owner drew Ajahn Brahm a map to the toilet, and she lived there alone, wary of her own relatives. Space and wealth can quietly wall people in. Smaller homes and simpler lives leave room for friends, and for the planet. A person is measured by character and fun, not by floor area.

## Source

- [Instead of Attachment | Ajahn Brahm | 04-03-2011](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L50xVM7wwss) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 11:23 to 12:31: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L50xVM7wwss&t=683s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Putting Meaning Into Life | Ajahn Brahm | 03-12-2010](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG5IadQxhvE) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 10:26 to 11:59: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG5IadQxhvE&t=626s
- [What Do You Want? | Ajahn Brahm | 06-05-2011](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95XfzIJ-ov0) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 33:51 to 35:34: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95XfzIJ-ov0&t=2031s
- [Am I Good Enough? | Ajahn Brahm | 28 April 2017](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2mWuCk70Ck) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 51:02 to 52:34: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2mWuCk70Ck&t=3062s
- [Get Real | Ajahn Brahm | 12-06-2009](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1o51NPCk-U) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 34:13 to 35:32: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1o51NPCk-U&t=2053s
- [Jealousy | by Ajahn Brahm | 15-11-2013](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nBSPHe1RCc) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 20:06 to 21:58: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nBSPHe1RCc&t=1206s
- [Wanting For Nothing | by Ajahn Brahm | 02-10-2012](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JXoSyx-G-Q) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 10:50 to 12:41: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JXoSyx-G-Q&t=650s
- [Problems and Solutions | Ajahn Brahm | 30 Oct 2015](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivjWh2yuumk) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 29:17 to 30:37: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivjWh2yuumk&t=1757s
- [Freedom Of Desire | Ajahn Brahm | 27 November 2020](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gR0lYr9JctE) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 4:16 to 4:50: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gR0lYr9JctE&t=256s
- [How to Deal with Sickness | Ajahn Brahm | 29 June 2018](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R620ONlGW2M) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 26:42 to 27:42: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R620ONlGW2M&t=1602s
- [The Middle Way of Wealth | Ajahn Brahm | 26 January 2024](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnYkOjzYQgU) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 13:40 to 15:11: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnYkOjzYQgU&t=820s