# “That monk, he's on the gear”

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-prison-on-the-gear
- Themes: happiness, meditation, humour
- Life situations: seeking happiness in things, addiction, unhappiness

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

At a Buddha-statue installation in an English open prison, Ajahn Brahm is beaming as he circles the statue; one watching prisoner tells another that the monk must be on drugs.

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

One time, I was visiting a prison in UK You know, we spend a lot of time in prison as monks, I often tell people: Visiting prisons, I always would keep a log of how many hours and minutes I spent doing community work in prison to be used as credit, in case I ever got sentenced for something (Laughs) look, I've already done about... the equivalent of about two or three months you should take that off (Laughs). But anyway, I was inside this jail, cause it was a ceremony, somebody had sweet talked the British government into putting a Buddha statue In the middle of an open prison, a big one! And you know, it's very easy for people to sponsor a Buddha statue especially inside a prison, wow, it's amazing! And so we did a installation ceremony. And for those who ever come and see some of the Buddhist rituals, one of the favourite ones is actually we go around three times flowers, candles and incense, we go around It's like an act of worship, reverence you know, it's interesting, where this comes from we don't know but they also do that in Mecca, when they go around the, whatever it's called ...the Kaaba, always go three times around, wearing white this is incredible similarities between our different traditions where they came from I don't know, but it's... that's Buddhist Anyhow... There we where, going round three times, and I was inspired I was happy, Amazing, something good being done in a prison! Not just locking people up and reenforcing how guilty they should feel but no, just something which is inspiring and I was just so happy with a big smile on my face much more than I usually have cause, you know, more inspiration and at the corner of my eye I saw these two prisoners they just got nothing to do, nothing was on the TV that night so they just hung out to see what the hell was going on with these crazy people with brown robes and a Buddha statue so just, you know, having a quick look and then I heard them, one looking to me... looking at the other prisoner and pointing to me he said: "That monk, he's on the gear" (Laughs) If you don't know what gear means you know, it's like, some sort of drug cause that's the only thing they could explain the happiness from just some medication; it's not medication! you know, it's meditation, not medication

## Teaching point

“it's not medication! you know, it's meditation, not medication … you don't need that stuff to be happy.”

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

Ajahn Brahm was simply delighted that something kind was happening in a prison, and the only explanation two watching inmates could find was drugs. Joy from a peaceful mind can look suspicious in a world that hunts for it in things. You don't need a substance or a purchase to light up; stillness and a little inspiration will do.

## Source

- [Learn to be at peace with yourself | Ajahn Brahm | 6 Jan 2017](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eu0RtEG6V4A) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 24:56 to 27:27: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eu0RtEG6V4A&t=1496s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Develop Your Heart | Ajahn Brahm | 2 Dec 2016](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqwCXGkmSy0) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 42:09 to 46:45: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqwCXGkmSy0&t=2529s
- [Secular Mindfulness | Ajahn Brahm | 27 October 2017](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGjXEM1HZ54) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 46:04 to 46:59: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGjXEM1HZ54&t=2764s
- [Freedom | Ajahn Brahm | 22 February 2019](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuRrk9hnChU) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 38:40 to 40:09: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuRrk9hnChU&t=2320s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 13 January 2018](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZXWVa677Ks) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:17:05 to 1:17:45: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZXWVa677Ks&t=4625s
- [Ajahn Brahm's New Year's Eve Talk | 1 Jan 2016](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1zQwOceuVk) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 19:05 to 19:29: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1zQwOceuVk&t=1145s