# Sister Jittindria mistaken for Ajahn Brahm

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-sister-jittindria-mistaken-for-him
- Themes: humour, nuns, appearance, reputation
- Life situations: mistaken identity, protecting reputation

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

One of the first nuns, Sister Jittindria, is driven off after Saturday lunch for a tour of Perth. A Thai woman shouts that Ajahn Brahm is sitting next to a girl — until he happens to walk out and she sees he is standing beside her. Different-coloured robes, he says, are so people can tell monks from nuns.

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

This actually happened here some years ago. You know, we had one of our first nuns here, I think it was actually Sister Jittindria And she was visiting for a while and just after the morning lunch on a Saturday one of the ladies decided to take her for a little tour around the sites of Perth for the first time, so she was in the car sitting next to another lady, that's two of them in the front seats of the car, and they drove off from the community hall just around the corner here. and as soon as they drove off I think it was a Thai lady who started shouting out "Hey, look, there's Ajahn Brahm, sitting next to a girl. Where are they going?" [audience laughing] And it was actually a very close call, because it was very lucky at that time when she was pointing to this brown figure with the bald head sitting in the passenger seat of the car next to a young girl, I happened to come out. [audience laughing] And she said "Ajahn Brahm's not over there, Ajahn Brahm is over here." And because the recognised that couldn't be me because I was standing right next to her, I said "I'm here", she realised it was a nun in the car, it wasn't me. But if I hadn't come out there, she would have gone around saying "This Ajahn Brahm, you know what he gets up to when ..." [audience laughing] That's why have the different colour robes these days

## Teaching point

Appearances mislead; a small difference (robe colour) prevents a big misunderstanding.

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

A woman saw a robed figure in a car beside a young woman and was ready to spread scandal about Ajahn Brahm, until he walked out of the building behind her. It was one of the first nuns. Appearances mislead. Before passing on a story, check it, and be slow to judge.

## Source

- [Buddhism and Sects | Ajahn Brahm | 01-06-2007](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owq_ougaikU) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 24:29 to 25:49: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owq_ougaikU&t=1469s