# The embassy couples who got back together

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-two-bad-bricks-bangkok-embassy-couples
- Themes: marriage, reconciliation, fault-finding
- Life situations: marital trouble, separation, divorce

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

After his first book, opening with the two-bad-bricks story, becomes popular, Ajahn Brahm is invited to Bangkok: of four couples at the Australian Embassy with marital trouble, two divorced and two separated, all came back together after reading the story. They fly him to Bangkok to give a talk to say thank you.

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

I got this invitation to go to Bangkok. Four couples in the Australian Embassy in Bangkok had marital trouble. Two were divorced. They've gone through the divorce proceedings. Two were separated but not divorced yet. When they read that story, they came together again. Amazing, they were divorced. But they decided to come together again, separated ones came together again. And they wanted to see me. They want to say thank you. So they bought me an airline ticket to go to Bangkok, paid everything. So I gave a talk for the people in the Australian Embassy in Bangkok. Say thank you. It worked.

## Teaching point

Seeing the good bricks, not just the two bad ones, can save a marriage.

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

After reading the two bad bricks story, couples at the Australian Embassy in Bangkok who had separated or divorced got back together, and flew Ajahn Brahm over to say thank you. Your partner isn't perfect, and neither are you, so you're a match. Look past the two crooked bricks to the many good ones.

## Source

- [The Fault Finding Mind | Ajahn Brahm | 7 May 2021](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bekYLQ5buRQ) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 27:10 to 28:03: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bekYLQ5buRQ&t=1630s

Other tellings of this story:

- [How to be Free | Ajahn Brahm | 26 November 2021](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeiRya9-vXc) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:05:08 to 1:08:04: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeiRya9-vXc&t=3908s
- [The Dangers of Complaining | Ajahn Brahm | 1 March 2024](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYLHU0eddYA) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 33:54 to 35:10: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYLHU0eddYA&t=2034s
- [Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 4 July 2020](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OF98ZAR2a_g) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:18:40 to 1:19:49: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OF98ZAR2a_g&t=4720s
- [How to Deal with Rejection | Ajahn Brahm | 28 February 2025](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjmkj8NpH7s) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 27:35 to 28:45: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjmkj8NpH7s&t=1655s