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Story · Ajahn Brahm

The monk who thanked his accusers for jail

As told by Ajahn Brahm in Contentment | Ajahn Brahm | 11 Mar 2016

3 min read

Content note: historical claim — names and details unverified; death (accident)

The story — as told by Ajahn Brahm (verbatim captions)

This was a Thai monk a long time ago "Thepsidimoon" his name was. He was number two in the hierarchy. Because in Thailand they organize; I don't really agree with that. Organizing into leaders of monasteries, leaders of districts, leaders of provinces then the Head Monk of Thailand; they call him the Sangharaja, the king of the Sangha just like in Sri Lanka they have Maha Nayakas as well. But this was the head of the whole monastic community of Thailand. Why anybody would want to be that leader is crazy.. but you know what it's like pride and jealousy. People always want to be the top. So anyway, he was a really good monk; he was number two in line he didn't really care. He is one of these really good ones. But the number three was very, very jealous and wanted to be the number one. But number two was in the way. So you know what he did... This was many many many years ago when many countries were afraid of communism. And at that time in Thailand it was against the law to be a communist. Just like the United States-- The reds under the beds scares. So, this monk, just like me gives many many talks. Many of them were recorded; and you take a statement here and add it to a statement there and put a statement in between mix it all up; and you can prove anything. With all the stuff which I have taught; if you sparse a statement here, and sparse a statement there you'd think that I am a some sort of ... even this evening, that I am a follower of Kim Jong-un. You can do anything if you have got those bad ideas in your head. So this person, number three inline accused number two of being a communist. And it stuck ... And this monk was put in jail. Number two was got rid of by putting in jail for three years. But what happened next; be very careful of Buddhist monks curses. Actually didn't curse but it's Kamma. The head monk, the number one did die. Number three got promoted to be the Head Monk of Thailand. And one day... because he was a senior monk, he would go everywhere with Police escort. Police car in front, Police car behind he was in a very nice car. And a car on the opposite side of the road loss control went over the median strip and crashed into the Head Monk's car and killed him instantly. No one else was even injured, Just one monk was killed. And everybody thought ' this must be kamma'. Why was one monk killed and no one else? They thought that Head Monk must have done something very bad. And they looked and saw his past and that's what they saw. They looked at the evidence and they realised; that monk has been setup and put in jail for something he never did. So they released him, they gave him full pardon, turned over his conviction. Was he upset? Was he angry? Did he ask for compensation? No way, he said, This was the best three years of my life. It was like being on retreat. I never had to answer anybody's questions, about their marriage, about their jobs, about their children, about their health, about all the stuff which I have to talk about all the time. Didn't have to talk about anything like that, didn't have to give any talks could read any books he likes, meditating, rest and it's the best years of his life, he said. Now that is a monk! And he said also, really, really thankfully he said because if I hadn't been in jail I would have probably got that top job now somebody else had got that after me. So I am free.

▶ Watch Ajahn Brahm tell it from 25:01 (to 29:26)

A reflection (in the spirit of Ajahn Brahm's talk)

Framed by a rival with faked recordings, a senior Thai monk spent three years in jail and called them the best of his monastic life: no teaching, plenty of rest and reading. He was even glad to miss the top job. No one controls your happiness unless you let them. Contentment can make even injustice a rest.

In brief (our summary)

A senior Thai monk, next in line to become Sangharaja, is framed by a jealous rival with spliced tape recordings that make him seem a communist, and jailed. He blames no one — for three years he never has to teach or counsel and calls it the best time of his monk's life. Later the rival, now head monk, is killed when a car crashes into his limousine at the very spot he sat; an inquiry finds the recordings faked, and the jailed monk returns to his monastery, saying thank you — and has to go back to work.

Teaching point

Don't let others control your happiness; even injustice can be used well.

When this story may help

  • being framed
  • wrongful accusation
  • workplace jealousy
  • imprisonment

Themes

Source & credit

Told by Ajahn Brahm in Contentment | Ajahn Brahm | 11 Mar 2016 · 2016-03-11 · ▶ watch from 25:01 to 29:26 · Buddhist Society of Western Australia

6 other tellings of this story

Caption notes: Manual (volunteer) captions; occasional misspellings kept as is. 'Thepsidimoon' as captioned (Thai name).

The narrative is Ajahn Brahm's own telling, quoted from the talk captions. The summary and reflection are Being Mindful Stories's editorial notes. Please credit the teacher and link the original talk. Markdown version

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