# Hi Brahm — I still meditate every day

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-nick-still-meditates-at-airport
- Themes: prison, meditation, friendship
- Life situations: prison work, airports

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Ex-prisoner Nick (former drug dealer) finds Brahm in an airport, puts a hand on his shoulder, grins: still meditates every day.

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

I remember dear old Nick, he was in prison. Uh, I was teaching him meditation, he was a drug dealer, and after a while, so you know, he left the prison, went straight. And I remember seeing him in the airport. Just waiting for someone in the airport, I spend lots of time in airports, as you gather. I sat in the airport, just somebody put their hand on my shoulder, I turned around, that’s Nick. He said, “Hi, Brahm.” You know, he called me Brahm, not Ajahn Brahm because these are sort of not Buddhists but just people who really respect you. “Hi, Brahm”, and he had this big smile on his face, “I still meditate every day”, he said

## Teaching point

The space between people outlasts the sentence — practice can stick after release.

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

Years after teaching meditation in prison, Ajahn Brahm felt a hand on his shoulder at an airport. A former prisoner grinned: hi, Brahm, I still meditate every day. Relationships live in the space between people. So does peace at home: notice the space, not the clutter. Ajahn Brahm designed his hall to be empty for that reason.

## Source

- [Outer Space and Inner Space | Ajahn Brahm | 02-01-2015](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gpSRsg2ixQ) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 32:10 to 32:48: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gpSRsg2ixQ&t=1930s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Breaking Out Of Prison | Ajahn Brahm | 28-02-2014](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIUA1bdEqlE) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 5:19 to 5:39: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIUA1bdEqlE&t=319s