# The patient monk's police escort

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-police-escort-monk
- Themes: humour, patience, travel
- Life situations: traffic, travel, impatience

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Asked what a patient monk does on a four-hour, 220 km drive from Bangkok airport to a retreat, Ajahn Brahm reveals he got a police escort and arrived in two hours — and was disappointed to find no police car waiting in Perth. Once in Sri Lanka, also behind a police escort, his driver's brother passes them, phones in alarm and asks whether he's in trouble and needs a lawyer.

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

what happened to me last week when I went to Thailand to teach a Meditation Retreat this is know how a monke is patient cuz I landed at the airport and it was a 220 km uh ride to the uh Retreat Center I was giving my retreat so it usually takes about 4 hours hours so what does a monk do for 4our Journey I'll tell you what I did I got police escort we we we we only took me 2 hours that's what happens when you're a patient monk you get there faster than anybody it's very fun being a monk having a police escort but I was very disappointed when I came back to Perth where's my police car actually once when I was in Sri Lanka that was given a police escort down the G a very busy road and so you know I had a policeman in front of me in the car with the cers waiting and I was sitting in the back with know a friend who was a driver and the driver's one I think his brother passed him on the other side of the road he didn't realize he was taking a monk to sort of an important engagement and his his brother seeing his uh uh this know the friend seeing his brother behind a police car sort of rang him on his mobile phone are you in trouble do you want a lawy is anything I could do so that's one of the problem troubles if you follow uh if you're following a police car think people think youve broken the law

## Teaching point

(A joke against himself on patience: wherever you get to, you're always here.)

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

Asked what a patient monk does on a four-hour drive, Ajahn Brahm confessed he'd been given a police escort and did it in two, then missed it badly back in Perth. In Sri Lanka, a friend seeing their car behind the police assumed they'd been arrested. Whatever the speed, you only ever arrive here. Enjoy the journey and the scenery.

## Source

- [On Patience | Ajahn Brahm | 26-06-2009](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gl0Lyxi8nbQ) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 13:09 to 14:39: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gl0Lyxi8nbQ&t=789s