# “It was only two murders”

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-prisoner-only-two-murders
- Themes: self-acceptance, stigma, prison, redemption
- Life situations: life after prison, guilt over serious harm, redemption

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

A prisoner near the end of his sentence reads about the two bad bricks and goes around saying of himself, “It was only two murders.” Ajahn Brahm respects him: he's honest, and much more than the things he was jailed for.

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

i really respect this man he was one of the prisoners coming towards the end of his sentence over incarnate and i don't go to carnot anymore but many other monks do one of our monks will be there this evening to eat in the meditation group incarnate but this guy has been going around saying because he read my book and he heard about the two bad bricks and he goes around saying it was only two murders and good on him i don't know why you laughed there but good on him what else has he done in his life a lot of good things there's only two murders he's being honest

## Teaching point

Seeing the 998 good bricks lets even people who've done terrible things move past stigma.

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

After reading about the two bad bricks, a prisoner nearing release began telling people: it was only two murders. The audience laughed. Ajahn Brahm respected his honesty. He had done serious harm, and he was more than that harm. Anyone hiding from their past can grow in the company of kind people.

## Source

- [Positive Perspective and Acceptance | Ajahn Brahm | 3 June 2022](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4J5YVDTB1bE) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 56:35 to 57:18: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4J5YVDTB1bE&t=3395s

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 1:02:36 to 1:03:15: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeiRya9-vXc&t=3756s
- [Buddhism and Ghosts | Ajahn Brahm | 10 March 2023](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9fga9-6vFM) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 37:03 to 38:24: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9fga9-6vFM&t=2223s
- [Caring and Mental Health | Ajahn Brahm | 20 May 2022](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nO5tZV6YoEg) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 21:40 to 22:16: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nO5tZV6YoEg&t=1300s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 19 December 2020](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNcxDL_KFwY) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:15:59 to 1:16:14: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNcxDL_KFwY&t=4559s
- [Good Governance and Buddhism | Ajahn Brahm | 10 March 2017](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcJRfjYnQwk) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 33:43 to 34:16: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcJRfjYnQwk&t=2023s