# The half-million-dollar bulletproof amulet

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-thai-general-bulletproof-amulet
- Themes: superstition, responsibility, heedlessness, humour
- Life situations: magical thinking, risk-taking, trusting charms

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

From a Thai newspaper: an army general in Bangkok paid half a million US dollars for an amulet guaranteed to stop bullets. After dinner and a couple of whiskies in the officers' mess he boasted about it, handed his gun to a junior officer and ordered, 'Shoot me.' The junior officer had to obey. The general died.

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

this was one case this was in the local paper a few years ago there's one general in the Thai Army in Bangkok I don't know way gotta fart half a million US dollars from but let's not go into that so I'm going to Thailand tomorrow they may be listening on the internet and I can in trouble so he had this emoji what won't get into trouble because he's not around anymore look what happened to you it's but half a billion US dollars on an amulet and apparently he was in his officers mess it had his meal he had a couple of glasses of whiskey and he was boasting sip this Amla over here I bought it for half a million u.s. that's how much it's worth and the reason I spent so much money this amulet will protect me from bullets it's magical and it's been guaranteed sort of protect me from bullets they said here you are and he gave his gun so his junior officer and it ordered him shoot me this is how stupid people get especially where they've had two glasses of whiskey and they have faith in his ambulance shoot me he said and of course the junior officers the army have to follow orders bang-bang it was amazing is a credible the general died

## Teaching point

Superstition makes people heedless; Buddhism asks you to take responsibility rather than trust charms.

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

A general paid a fortune for a bulletproof amulet, had a couple of whiskies, and ordered a junior officer to test it. Ajahn Brahm tells the grim joke to make a plain point. No charm replaces care and good sense. Look after yourself mindfully, and don't hand your safety over to superstition.

## Source

- [Loving Life, Loving-Kindness | by Ajahn Brahm | 20 Feb 2009](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj98u8peZOU) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 3:39 to 5:04: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj98u8peZOU&t=219s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Superstitions | Ajahn Brahm | 12-01-2007](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RggiVQ6F0fk) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 4:15 to 5:42: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RggiVQ6F0fk&t=255s
- [Friday The 13th](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0krodCJYes) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 17:30 to 18:22: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0krodCJYes&t=1050s