Ajahn Brahm is a Buddhist monk, who taught many years in prison. Amazingly, all of the prisoners who attended his classes never returned to jail once they were released. What did he do?
Ajahn Brahm shared in his book:
“In all my years teaching in prisons, I had never once seen a crimimal.
I have seen many people who had committed murder, but I have never seen a murderer. I have seen many people who had stolen from others, but I have never seen a thief. I have even seen people who had done terrible sex offences, but I have never seen a sex offender. I saw that the person was more than the crime.
It is irrational to define someone by one or two, or ever several, horrific acts that they have done. It denies the existence of all the other deeds, their many noble acts that they have performed. I recognised those other deeds. I saw a person who had done a crime, not a criminal. They were much, much more than the offence for which they were doing time.
When I saw the person not the crime, the also saw the other good part of themselves. They began to have self-respect, without denying the crime. Their self respect grew. When they left jail, they left for good.”(Retrieved from “Good? Bad? Who knows?” by Ajahn Brahm)
What do you think after reading this?
For me, it a great lesson of empathy and compassion from the buddhist monk.
We often blame and criticise other’s mistakes or sins. However, will the attitude of exclusion make those people being better? I remember the quote from Martin Luther King, Jr.: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
Let’s open our heart bigger to welcome everyone with care, love, empathy, compassion and forgiveness.
With love,
Little-pencil
Little-pencil 