# The 'bikie' who came to the retreat

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-tattooed-retreatant-best-meditator
- Themes: judgement, stereotyping, meditation, inner beauty
- Life situations: judging by appearances, prejudice

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

A huge man with scraggly hair, tattooed all over, turns up at a Jhana Grove retreat. Stereotyping him as a bikie-gang leader, Ajahn Brahm tells him, “Sir, you've got the wrong place — the prison farm is up the road.” “No, I've joined up for the retreat.” He turns out to have the best meditation on the retreat, describing bliss, joy and deep states in his interviews.

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

this guy turned up to one of my Retreats at jro the opposite side of the road to bodana Monastery but this guy was really big really scraggly hair and was covered with tattoos all over his body and as soon as I looked at him my mistake was judging him stereotyping him he looked like the leader of a biky gang not the sort of people who would come for Meditation Retreat so straight away I said sir you've got the wrong place the prison farm is up the road in that direction totally stereotype I was totally wrong he said no I've joined up for the retreat okay fair enough I said well okay all sorts but you know this guy on the outside he really looked just rough the sort of person you'd be afraid to meet in North Bridge on a a Saturday night you know just by yourself really was really mean looking guy but he got the best meditation on that Retreat when he came to the interviews to tell me what he was doing it's incredible the Bliss and the joy and the Deep meditations was getting and he realized this guy had opened himself up and inside was incredible beauty and I was really admiring just his mind in his meditation excellent

## Teaching point

Don't judge by the rough outer petals; inside everyone is great beauty.

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

Ajahn Brahm took one look at a huge tattooed man and pointed him to the prison farm up the road; he had the best meditation on the whole retreat. Ajahn Brahm tells it against himself. Rough outer petals hide a lot of beauty, even in the in-law or business rival who gives you the most trouble.

## Source

- [Develop Your Heart | Ajahn Brahm | 2 Dec 2016](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqwCXGkmSy0) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 33:14 to 34:45: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqwCXGkmSy0&t=1994s

Other tellings of this story:

- [How to Deal with Difficulties | Ajahn Brahm | 29 April 2022](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teELqB3MAG4) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 16:13 to 18:42: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teELqB3MAG4&t=973s
- [The Four Jhanas | Ajahn Brahm | 13 November 2020](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQrqbUc9Jb8) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 28:59 to 29:44: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQrqbUc9Jb8&t=1739s
- [Content and Easily Satisfied - Armadale Meditation Group | Ajahn Brahm | 21 December 2021](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVAciE7E8tA) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 21:28 to 21:52: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVAciE7E8tA&t=1288s
- [2017 반다라웰라 집중수행 지도 법문 제1편 | 아잔 브람](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37ruaUp4BtA) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 9:44 to 10:13: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37ruaUp4BtA&t=584s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 4 March 2023](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JdPjjvm74c) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 15:51 to 17:05: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JdPjjvm74c&t=951s