# Alms offering on Pat Pong Road

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-pat-pong-alms-offering
- Themes: non-judgment, sex work, monastic life, compassion
- Life situations: meeting stigmatised people, moral judgment

## Synopsis (editorial 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.

## 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

## Teaching point

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

## 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.

## Source

- [Gay Marriage, Why Not? | by Ajahn Brahm](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOPcbFhCEj0) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 19:47 to 20:30: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOPcbFhCEj0&t=1187s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Oh What A Relief! | by Ajahn Brahm | 16-05-2013](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_3cozc023Y) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 57:23 to 58:31: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_3cozc023Y&t=3443s