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Story · Ajahn Brahm

The sniffer dog at Perth Airport

As told by Ajahn Brahm in Changing our attitudes to who we think we are | Ajahn Brahm | 17 Jul 2015

2 min read

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

that actually happened once I love telling this story I was coming back from Sri Lanka this is one of the early trips to Sri Lanka I don't know what's in Sri Lanka but they got so many scents and curries and you know sometimes you spill things on your robe so when I came through Perth Airport and was queuing up to the passport control and they were taking the sniffer dogs up the lines of passengers up and down up and down they go and when they came to me the dogs stopped and honestly buried his nose in my robe and was wagging its tail ferociously and the hand I tried to put it away it wouldn't go poor poor poor and when it was pulled away the person in front of me looked around and took a step further away from me now we're not traveling with this guy and a World Behind also and everyone was looking at me and then it takes in that you've been through Perth Airport it takes forever on these cues and lines and that gave them time to do a second check they came up again and the dog stopped again now everyone was really looking at me now and of course as soon as you got through the passport control come over here sir and they the Customs officer he was so fortunately you know I don't have suitcases just have my bag actually where is it actually I travel this is all I travel with so it's very easy have a look inside it just takes five minutes had a look inside and he said what's under your rope nothing ever Easter Flash because Navy got Zips and stuff it's so hard to actually turn to take off things I didn't have to take off I just open up and show them yeah it'd be good fun being a mark you could just be a bit you know a bit crazy because you're dressed crazy so people sort of expect it so anyway and afterwards you said well well why did the dog stop at you and I just started to explain about loving kindness and compassion and this Castle though I said get out of here get out of here

▶ Watch Ajahn Brahm tell it from 23:17 (to 25:54)

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

A sniffer dog at Perth Airport fell in love with a curry-scented robe, and Ajahn Brahm was searched as a suspect; in Colombo he gets whisked to the VIP lounge for tea. Neither is really him. Praise and suspicion both come and go. Enjoy the cup of tea when it's offered, and laugh when the dog won't leave.

In brief (our summary)

Back from an early trip to Sri Lanka, his robe smelling of spices and curries, Ajahn Brahm queues at Perth Airport passport control. The sniffer dog stops at him, buries its nose in his robe and wags its tail furiously; it won't leave. The man in front steps away from him. On the second pass the dog stops again; everyone stares. Customs pull him aside, search his one small bag, ask what's under his robe — he just opens it. Asked why the dog stopped at him, he starts to explain about loving-kindness and compassion, and the officer says, “Get out of here.”

Teaching point

Sometimes you're a suspected drug runner, sometimes treated like royalty (as in Colombo's VIP lounge); neither is who you really are.

When this story may help

  • being suspected or misjudged
  • travel
  • being stared at

Themes

Source & credit

Told by Ajahn Brahm in Changing our attitudes to who we think we are | Ajahn Brahm | 17 Jul 2015 · 2015-07-19 · ▶ watch from 23:17 to 25:54 · Buddhist Society of Western Australia

3 other tellings of this story

Caption notes: YouTube auto-captions: unpunctuated, words left exactly as captioned. 'poor poor poor', 'Castle though' and 'Easter Flash' are garbled captions (not changed).

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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