# The secret security pen — “We like you, that's your best security device”

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-prison-security-pen
- Themes: respect, kindness, prison, labels, safety
- Life situations: working with prisoners, feeling unsafe, dealing with difficult people, volunteering

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

At a dangerous men's prison (Canning Vale, as he corrects himself) Ajahn Brahm is given a 'secret' alarm pen to point at the ceiling sensors if attacked — but monks' robes have no pockets. In class a prisoner friend immediately recognises it, admits he'd jump Ajahn Brahm before he could press it, and adds that if anyone else tried, he'd get them first: “We like you, and that's your best security device.”

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

I remember the time once I I went into the prison at casarina used to be no not casarina sorry the one in Canning it used to be called canning Val a long time ago I think it's now called hakei or something they changed the name still the same place and because it was a prison and had some very tough and mean people in there many other visitors had been attacked it was a Men's prison but it didn't mean because you were also a m you won't get attacked and raped and it happened many times so at the gate when I checked in they warned me it's a dangerous place and some people have been in that prison for so long didn't matter what they did it's not really going to make much difference they were going to die in that prison so what's a you know they got no no reason not to offend again they can't add to the sentence so it's a very dangerous place and so as I checked in at the gate they gave me what looked to all intents and purposes like a pen like an ordinary bro pen but they told me this is not an ordinary pen it's a secret security device and they said if you look at the ceilings you will notice what looks like smoke detectors they're not smoke detectors they're are security devices if someone if anybody tries to attack you point the pen at one of those devices and press the top and then the alarm will go off and we'll know exactly in the prison where you are and we will come and save you and he said put it in your pocket and I looked at the person I wear robes I don't have pockets you know really really we cause a lot of problems for many people you know sometime sometimes the reason I got a a microphone in front of me is because sometimes people like clip these things on your um use it on your jacket or on your shirt you know but I this keeps on falling off it's a terrible thing to do that's why sometimes you go into these radio shows or TV shows and they'll try and clip things on and say forget it it's going to fall off we cause a lot of problem for a lot of people we monks but nevertheless I enjoy that and so there's no place to so just hold it they said Hold the pen but they said be careful this is really secret if the prisoners found out we wouldn't be able to use this anymore so don't tell anybody and as soon as I went into my class one of the people I knew there he said oh you've got one of those security devices too of course they know that's why I tell all the monks down at Serpentine and the nuns at Gigan don't think that the people here in D Loa don't know everything which is going on in those monasteries there is a very strong grape vine goes on and if there's any problems in any of these monasteries you know about it so the monks we know no secrets and it's wonderful not to have any secrets but anyway so when I went in there this prisoner and you he was actually a really good friend cuz I known him a long time and you know he's a violent man but you know you get to know these guys and he said to me he said brah do you really think you could press that button before I jumped you and held you down and I said no you get me first he said yeah I would but I wasn't scared CU what he said next I knew he was going to say he said but brah if any of these guys behind tried that i' would get them first we like you and that's your best security device

## Teaching point

Respect and kindness toward people who have done crimes is returned; they are people who did crimes, not criminals.

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

Given a secret alarm pen at a tough prison, Ajahn Brahm had no pocket to put it in. A prisoner spotted it at once: he could jump him before he pressed it, but would stop anyone else first. We like you; that's your best protection. Respect people who have done wrong, and they often give respect back.

## Source

- [Anger Eating Demons | Ajahn Brahm | 07-10-2011](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=me7Wm5LOpx0) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 7:04 to 11:23: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=me7Wm5LOpx0&t=424s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Skillful Speech | Ajahn Brahm | 03-07-2009](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92eeS7ZGwlE) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 28:48 to 32:00: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92eeS7ZGwlE&t=1728s
- [How to be Free | Ajahn Brahm | 26 November 2021](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeiRya9-vXc) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 35:03 to 38:04: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeiRya9-vXc&t=2103s
- [Building Resilience | Ajahn Brahm | 8 November 2019](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_znbRN8JRXw) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 58:10 to 1:00:14: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_znbRN8JRXw&t=3490s
- [Confidence, Fear and Anxiety | Ajahn Brahm | 28 January 2022](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnYwHoYJID8) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:07:02 to 1:08:28: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnYwHoYJID8&t=4022s
- [Trust | Ajahn Brahm | 01-04-2011](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZ4r0C3IcWU) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 33:17 to 37:32: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZ4r0C3IcWU&t=1997s
- [How to Not Be Afraid | Ajahn Brahm | 10 October 2025](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaAPibPz3oM) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 12:42 to 14:49: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaAPibPz3oM&t=762s
- [Entanglement | Ajahn Brahm | 17 March 2017](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfFCyORlZP4) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:02:36 to 1:03:23: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfFCyORlZP4&t=3756s
- [Two Bad Bricks | Ajahn Brahm | 30 December 2022](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1Cy9NKk0WM) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:02:11 to 1:05:07: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1Cy9NKk0WM&t=3731s
- [Serve and Be Hopey](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J12Sc1d9JeE) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 34:32 to 35:10: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J12Sc1d9JeE&t=2072s