Stories about refugees
7 Buddhist wisdom stories about refugees from Buddhist teachers, each linked to the original talk.
- Caught with his trousers down in the bushfireStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: An Iranian ex-Muslim convert (named Muhammad, barred from a KL Buddhist talk, renamed in Australia) was at Bodhinyana in the 1991 fire; while evacuating he somehow stopped to…
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So, as soon as he came to Australia, he changed his name. So, he was there during the bush fire. And I don't know why this happens. I'll always remember this. We were hiding in the main hall just protecting when the the fire front hit. And then we got the orders from you know to evacuate. And this guy What This is where you get the the word from, getting caught with your trousers down. For some reason, he decided to change his trousers. And as we were in the car waiting for him, he came running out without any trousers
- Funeral for the first wife years laterStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: At a ceremony Ajahn Brahm learns the man's first wife died of malaria just after they escaped the Khmer Rouge into Thailand; as a destitute refugee he could not mourn her…
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Found out afterwards the story was that that was his first wife who he met in the villages. And during the time of the Khmer Rouge, that they were treated badly. And he escaped with his wife. He was one of the few people who managed to find his way over the border into what you thought would be safety in Thailand. But on that journey, you know, which people see in those movies, Killing Fields, he said after they they got to so-called safety, he found that during that journey his wife had contracted malaria fever. And it was so severe that they couldn't keep her alive. He come so close to success on his escape. He made it over the border and his wife made it over the border. But a few days later, she died. And of course, being a refugee with absolutely nothing, and being unable to mourn the death of his wife, even though his wife was there, he could not do anything at the time. He could not perform any ceremonies. He didn't have the means to do that. He waited for about, I don't know, how many years, 5 6 7 years. And he got married in the meantime. He obviously asked permission from his wife. He still had unfinished business with his first wife. The whole ceremony to which I attended was just for that first wife. It was her funeral. It was a time he could say thank you. A time he could let her go. And then go back and join his new wife, his second wife. And put away all that past. It was an occasion when if you cannot perform those funeral services when somebody passes away, especially in some countries now because of COVID, if you can't actually do them now, you can always do them later.
- Guanyin came over the waves — then the British frigateStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Vietnamese boat people who reached Perth told him that at their most desperate — robbed by pirates, no money — they saw Guanyin coming over the waves, and right behind her a…
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Vietnamese boat people in those days when they sort of fled Vietnam and they just trusted their life you know to these rickety old boats sailing a huge distance to get to Australia such a long long long journey and most of them didn't make it. Some did. And I remember a lot of them they they told me that they were just know they were robbed by pirates. They had no money. They didn't know what they were going to do. They're going to make anywhere. And many of them I remember them. These are people I've talked to personally eventually ended up in Perth. They said that they had uh just almost losing it and they saw this image of the this they call it goddess of mercy Quanin coming over the the waves to them and they swore to me they actually saw it and then right behind this goddess of mercy Quanin they saw a a British frigot you know when Hong Kong was under the Brits sailing towards them to save them. Quan came first mobly leading the Brits to rescue rescue these poor refugees and of course then they got taken to Hong Kong and eventually settled over here in Australia
- My soul is darkStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Years ago at Port Hedland detention centre, Brahm sits with a ~22-year-old Cambodian refugee held 3–4 years. Limited English; the boy says 'My soul is dark. I have no hope.'…
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going to the Port Heden detention center to see some of the Cambodian refugees who came here and having a talk for 5 10 minutes with this young boy, maybe about 22, 23, who'd been in the Port Head and Detention Center for about 3 4 years. His English was not much, but I remember him telling me sitting opposite this wooden on this wooden little uh table on benches, you know, it's like a barbecue area and just saying, he said, "My soul is dark. I have no hope." And that went straight inside of me. I will never forget that
- She signed a blank cheque so the refugee could see her dying motherStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: In the Buddhist centre hall a Laotian refugee gets a telegram — mother dying in Oregon — no money to fly. The woman arranging flowers stops, opens her chequebook and signs a…
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One of the Laotian refugees had just got a telegram from her mom her her her actually from family members, her mother was dying. But in Oregon, in uh United States. And she was here in Perth, this refugee. She had no means of getting to see her mother for one last time. And so, she was crying her eyes out. And the lady I'm talking about, she was organizing the flowers for the hall. She stopped doing that, reached into her um handbag, took out a checkbook. In those days, we used checkbooks. And just signed a blank check for her. For any amount. You go and see your mom
- The 'scatty' monk emptied his wallet at the refugee campStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Proud young Brahm criticises a Thai monk for carrying money; the monk shares breakfast, takes him to a Lao refugee camp after the Vietnam War, and empties his wallet for the poor.
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scatty wag monk he has money he shouldn't have money he should be strict like I was because I was a very proud monk in those days and sometimes Pride leads to arrogance and because you're arrogant you tend to criticize others not really understanding what they're doing or why they're doing but then he was just so kind to me he sort of shared his breakfast with me and then he said you want to come to the refugee camp cuz this was just after the time of the Vietnam War and there was many laian refugees just close to his Temple and so I went there to visit and sure he had a wallet and it was full of cash but he literally turned it upside down and emptied it and just gave it to the the poor refu
- 'Welcome to Australia, mate. Have a beer.'Story · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: A Vietnamese boat person, just in sight of the Australian shore, was greeted by two West Australian fishermen: 'Welcome to Australia, mate. Have a beer.' He always remembered it.…
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I don't know if you know that one of those boat people years ago know he's uh that's right he was uh from he was was it Bangladesh no from Vietnam also Vietnamese and when he arrived you know in Australia actually just in sight of shore he received this wonderful welcome to Australia by these two West Australian fishermen These two West Australian fishermen shouted at him, "Welcome to Australia, mate. Have a beer." And he always remembered that. And eventually, you know, got settled in South Australia and became the governor of South Australia for two terms.