# The guard who fell asleep

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-prison-officer-snoring-near-keys
- Themes: humour, prison, mindfulness
- Life situations: prison ministry, responsibility at work

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Teaching meditation in a high-security prison at Canning Vale, Ajahn Brahm must have a prison officer in the room. The officer closes his eyes to meditate too — and starts snoring. Opening his eyes to check, Ajahn Brahm sees a prisoner's hand about an inch from the officer's keys. 'Let's look at the prisoner,' he says, and wakes the officer. There are times when you shouldn't snore.

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

the only time when it was really bad when somebody was snoring was when I was teaching meditation in uh in the prison once, in a high-security prison. And because it was a high-security It's the one one in Canning Vale, I think it's called Acacia now. Is it Acacia? Or whatever. Anyway, they keep on changing the names. But anyway, that when I was teaching in there, because it was high-security prison, you had to have a prison officer with you at all times. So, he had to come in my meditation group. So, as I was teaching meditation, even the prison officer, you know, he was just Well, he's hearing it, so he decided to close his eyes and start meditating as well. And of course, he was the one who started snoring. And it's a very good job I opened my eyes to check because as he was snoring, one of the prison officers, his hand was maybe about 1 in from the keys. [laughter] And I said, "Oh, well, let's look at the prisoner." And he did the Oh. [laughter] So, that's where I the prison officer up. So, there are times when you shouldn't snore.

## Teaching point

A comic counterpoint: falling asleep is usually fine — but not always.

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

Teaching meditation in a high-security prison, Ajahn Brahm heard the guard start snoring, opened his eyes, and saw a prisoner's hand an inch from the keys. He woke the officer gently. Usually dozing off in meditation is nothing to fret over. Just don't be hard on yourself; be wise about the times that matter.

## Source

- [Learn to Not Blame Yourself | Ajahn Brahm | 25 May 2018](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNBuRBzCJrY) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 20:44 to 21:59: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNBuRBzCJrY&t=1244s

Other tellings of this story:

- [How to be Free | Ajahn Brahm | 26 November 2021](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeiRya9-vXc) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 38:02 to 39:04: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeiRya9-vXc&t=2282s
- [Death and Grief | Ajahn Brahm | 30 November 2018](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUJDS3nEwOU) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 11:07 to 11:40: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUJDS3nEwOU&t=667s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 4 March 2017](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zjcBlen2kI) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:36 to 2:15: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zjcBlen2kI&t=96s
- [Friday Night Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 30 November 2018](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQfb3pYZkvA) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 0:39 to 1:22: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQfb3pYZkvA&t=39s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 23 April 2016](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoallmX4AEM) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:08:25 to 1:09:10: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoallmX4AEM&t=4105s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 9 December 2017](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=py-CgMk-5u4) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:05 to 1:25: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=py-CgMk-5u4&t=65s
- [2022 October (12/18) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saXl0oZFR_Q) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 17:18 to 18:31: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saXl0oZFR_Q&t=1038s
- [2023 April (1/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98nirVZgiG4) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 22:56 to 24:02: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98nirVZgiG4&t=1376s