# Interviewed on shipping because he had nothing to do

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-shipping-interview-transport-minister
- Themes: humour, media, politics, Perth
- Life situations: unexpected publicity, conferences

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

At a transport conference with minister Alannah MacTiernan he skips the late lunch; a reporter interviews him on shipping simply because he is hanging around doing nothing — later journalists worldwide ask who Ajahn Brahm is.

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

Allana Martina was the Transport Minister, I got to know her quite well and had a "the community conference on transport" or something. And at lunchtime they all went out for lunch but it was too late for me so I was hanging around there so a reporter came up to me and interviewed me because I was doing nothing so, yeah I'll do an interview for you and it was on shipping! (laughter from the audience) That's another theme which I am an expert on you know, my background theoretical physics and then becoming a monk I was a teacher for a while but he was interviewing me on the benefit of shipping as the main means of transport. So I did this interview for him and he came up to me about six months later just to tell me the results of that interview, he said and I will always remember this. He said that interview was syndicated to all the major shipping magazines and journals in our whole world everywhere. Singapore, Hong Kong, London, New York, Buenos Aires. It went everywhere now he gave it the key title of Zen and the Art of Shipping by Ajahn Brahm

## Teaching point

Kind availability can put you on a subject you never studied.

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

Skipping lunch at a transport conference, Ajahn Brahm was buttonholed by a reporter about shipping. The article, 'Zen and the Art of Shipping', went round the world, and editors asked who this expert was. He knew nothing about ships. Step outside your comfort zone, relax and respond kindly; there are fewer limits than you think.

## Source

- [Hissing But Not Biting | Ajahn Brahm | 11-03-2011](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzIzr7tJH7Q) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 25:21 to 26:36: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzIzr7tJH7Q&t=1521s

Other tellings of this story:

- [阿姜布拉姆佛法講座: 如何面對生命中的困境?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atZzBsr_ffQ) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 47:38 to 48:16: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atZzBsr_ffQ&t=2858s