# 'Whatever you're doing, come and do it again'

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-prison-officer-zero-recidivism
- Themes: rehabilitation, kindness, prison, non-judgement
- Life situations: second chances, working with offenders, judging others

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Years ago a senior prison officer at the Canning Vale jail phones Ajahn Brahm insisting he come back to teach himself, not send other monks. Why? In his whole career, he says, he has noticed that every prisoner who came to Ajahn Brahm's class never came back to jail after release — zero recidivism. Ajahn Brahm thinks that's impossible and asks what he's been doing. 'I don't know what you've been doing, but come and do it again, please.'

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

I remember just uh getting this phone call years ago from one of the prison officers in the jail in Canning Veil. I think that's Hake. I'm not quite sure. They keep changing the names of the prisons. But anyway, in that prison over there, there was one of the prison senior prison officers and they really they wanted they made sure they wanted to talk to me. And I said, "Why?" He said, "We want you to come back to our prison to teach your meditation or whatever you're teaching over there." I said, "Look, I'm really busy these days. Got so many other duties. I usually send other monks to actually to go there." And he said, "No, we want you." I said, "Why?" He said, "Because something has happened. I've been in this prison service all my life." He said, "And I've noticed that every prisoner who comes to your class, everyone once they're released from jail never comes back again. Zero recidivism." I thought, "That's impossible." Said, "What have I been doing?" He said, "I don't know what you've been doing, but come and do it again, please.

## Teaching point

Seeing a person who made mistakes, not 'a criminal', changes people.

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

A prison officer begged Ajahn Brahm to keep teaching personally: none of his students ever came back to jail. Ajahn Brahm doubted that, but knew what he'd done. He never saw criminals, only human beings who'd made mistakes. Look at people that way, including yourself. It can change a life.

## Source

- [How to be Free | Ajahn Brahm | 26 November 2021](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeiRya9-vXc) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 50:59 to 52:16: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeiRya9-vXc&t=3059s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Kindness Creates Peace | Ajahn Brahm | 18 February 2022](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcYeueUnflY) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 50:42 to 52:02: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcYeueUnflY&t=3042s
- [Grant Yourself a Moment of Peace | Ajahn Brahm | 11 April 2025](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZvNc4BpW_Q) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 42:14 to 43:27: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZvNc4BpW_Q&t=2534s
- [Conflict! | Ajahn Brahm | 14-12-2007](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCSh-2-JkLg) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 38:33 to 39:09: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCSh-2-JkLg&t=2313s
- [Breaking Out Of Prison | Ajahn Brahm | 28-02-2014](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIUA1bdEqlE) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 2:35 to 3:59: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIUA1bdEqlE&t=155s
- [Two Bad Bricks | Ajahn Brahm | 30 December 2022](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1Cy9NKk0WM) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:05:45 to 1:06:46: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1Cy9NKk0WM&t=3945s
- [Why Do People Come Here? | Ajahn Brahm | 18 December 2020](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwPyLq9Pxug) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 23:32 to 24:29: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwPyLq9Pxug&t=1412s
- [Virtue and Kindness | Ajahn Brahm | 30 May 2025](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y529kJC6opI) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:05:10 to 1:05:38: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y529kJC6opI&t=3910s
- [Peaceful Activism | Ajahn Brahm | 18 October 2019](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRO0U6bURws) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 43:15 to 43:45: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRO0U6bURws&t=2595s
- [Inclusiveness | Ajahn Brahm | 17 March 2023](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmVeZu4KmvY) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 31:11 to 32:55: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmVeZu4KmvY&t=1871s