Story · Ajahn Brahm
Dixon of Dock Green vs the new cop show
The story — as told by Ajahn Brahm (verbatim captions)
I went to visit my mother in London about 15 years ago, the first time I'd seen TV in about 7 years. It was like a copper movie show. I forget what it was called - not Defenders, or something. Anyways, half an hour TV show, repeated every week. As I was watching it with my mother, for giving her company, I couldn't believe how many people died in about half an hour. I was actually counting them. I got to about a dozen or something got shot and killed. I couldn't believe this because before, when I was... before I became a monk, the TV was so tame. Because I had 7 years I hadn't seen the actual progress of violence on TV, the contrast was so strong inside of me because the police show I remembered as a kid was a police show - anyone old enough might remember this - Dixon of Dock Green. Dixon of Dock Green was this London bobby in the days when they didn't have guns. If he caught a burglar, the burglar would say, "Ah, Sergeant Dixon, it's an honor to be caught by you, sir." [Laughter]. And apparently they don't do that anymore. [Laughter]. Things have changed. And no one got shot, and if they did go ever get hurt, if there was a bullet, they'd go, "Ooh, ooh, ooh." You wouldn't see any blood at all. And they'd just fall on the floor without any gore or anything.
▶ Watch Ajahn Brahm tell it from 41:39 (to 43:18)
A reflection (in the spirit of Ajahn Brahm's talk)
After seven years without television, Ajahn Brahm counted a dozen killings in one half-hour cop show; the policeman of his childhood never even carried a gun. Intensity creeps up unnoticed. Rather than banning things, ask whether this harms me or someone else, and encourage that wisdom in your children, without guilt trips.
In brief (our summary)
Visiting his mother in London after seven years without TV, he watches a half-hour cop show with her and counts about a dozen people shot dead. He can't believe it: the police show of his childhood was Dixon of Dock Green, a London bobby without a gun, whose burglars said, 'Ah, Sergeant Dixon, it's an honour to be caught by you, sir', and anyone hit just went 'ooh' and fell down without any gore.
Teaching point
Sensory intensity creeps up unnoticed; stepping away shows how relative it is.
When this story may help
- media consumption
- children and TV
- desensitisation
Themes
Source & credit
Told by Ajahn Brahm in The Buddhist Attitude to Sensuality | Ajahn Brahm | 19-01-2007 · 2007-01-22 · ▶ watch from 41:39 to 43:18 · Buddhist Society of Western Australia
Caption notes: Manual (volunteer) captions; occasional misspellings kept as is.
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