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Story · Ajahn Brahm

Alms offering on Pat Pong Road

As told by Ajahn Brahm in Gay Marriage, Why Not? | by Ajahn Brahm

1 min read

Content note: sex work

The story — as told by Ajahn Brahm (verbatim captions)

they'd just been a few weeks before to Pat Pong Road. The monks, for those of you who don't know Bangkok, Pat Pong Road was the red light district of Bangkok. Every year, well, this in those days, you know, these were prostitutes. They would clean up their um premises, dress appropriately because we monks are very sensitive and invite the monks to do an arms offering. You know, they wanted to make good karma as well. You know, feed the monks, you know, take the precepts for the day and then just, you know, make some uh charitable donations to the temple

▶ Watch Ajahn Brahm tell it from 19:47 (to 20:30)

A reflection (in the spirit of Ajahn Brahm's talk)

In Bangkok's red-light district, sex workers tidied up, dressed modestly and invited monks for an alms offering. The monks never looked down on them. That moved young Ajahn Brahm deeply. We rarely know what forced someone's choices. Welcome everyone with kindness, and leave judgment at the door.

In brief (our summary)

Western monks visiting Bangkok are taken to Pat Pong, the red-light district, where sex workers clean their premises, dress appropriately, invite the monks for an alms offering, take precepts for the day and make donations. The monks do not look down on them.

Teaching point

Buddhism's non-judgmental stance reaches people society writes off.

When this story may help

  • meeting stigmatised people
  • moral judgment

Themes

Source & credit

Told by Ajahn Brahm in Gay Marriage, Why Not? | by Ajahn Brahm · 2012-03-21 · ▶ watch from 19:47 to 20:30 · Buddhist Society of Western Australia

1 other telling of this story

Caption notes: YouTube auto-captions with machine-added punctuation; words left exactly as captioned.

The narrative is Ajahn Brahm's own telling, quoted from the talk captions. The summary and reflection are Being Mindful Stories's editorial notes. Please credit the teacher and link the original talk. Markdown version

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