# The bodhisattva at the bottom of the class

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-bottom-of-class-bodhisattva
- Themes: failure, compassion, education, humour
- Life situations: school results, disappointing parents, failure

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

As a schoolteacher, Ajahn Brahm hands out report cards; a 12- or 13-year-old reads “30th of 30” and slumps — how will he show his dad? Ajahn Brahm stands by him and says he deserves a medal: like a bodhisattva, he has selflessly taken the bottom place so none of his friends has to suffer what's coming from mum and dad tonight, while the conceited ones all wanted the top. The boy looks at him as if he's crazy — but he stops being sad, and laughs.

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

so he gave the exams and the end of the year this gave out the report cards in my class there's this poor kid when I gave him the report card he read it 30th bottom of a class in a class of 30 and I could see I I saw his face cuz I knew you know who came bottom people who came top they say yeah yeah we came top this poor kid know his jaw dropped his shoulders hunched he look so sad he was really suffering imagine you have to take that report card back to your parents how do you do son bottom dad that's suffering for us you know a young kid he must be about 12 or 13 and so even then I was very compassionate teacher I was kind you can't just ignore a person who's suffering like that so I went up to him and sort of stood by him and he said you came bottom of the class yes sir how am I going to show this to my dad I said look you actually deserve a medal for this I taught him a little bit of Buddhism in Buddhism we got something called a bodic SATA now a bodic SATA is someone who sacrifices everything for other people it's out of great compassion and B saford sacrifice sometimes a whole life for the benefit of others and I think that's what you are you've taken this terrible position in the bottom of the class so none of your friends will have to actually to take this position you've done this so selflessly all the other conceited arrogant people they just want to become top but you've taken the humble position and taken that suffering on yourself so no one else has to enjoy what's coming to you from your mom and dad this evening they said you're such a kind and wonderful person in Buddhism we'd actually praise you for doing things like that and he looked at me as if I was crazy but it stopped him getting sad and upset certainly laughed afterwards

## Teaching point

It's the attitude to coming bottom (or top) that hurts, not the result.

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

A boy who came thirtieth out of thirty was dreading going home, so his teacher praised him for nobly taking the bottom place so his friends wouldn't have to. The boy thought he was mad, and laughed. Results are what they are. It's the way we look at a failure that hurts, and that is something we can change.

## Source

- [Does Life Suck? | Ajahn Brahm | 1-05-2009](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSIEN0pZkxE) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 35:24 to 37:31: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSIEN0pZkxE&t=2124s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Skillful Speech | Ajahn Brahm | 03-07-2009](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92eeS7ZGwlE) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:03:07 to 1:05:23: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92eeS7ZGwlE&t=3787s
- [How to Handle Anxiety | Ajahn Brahm | 15 March 2024](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9ZmTRI7NUU) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 28:54 to 32:38: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9ZmTRI7NUU&t=1734s
- [Emotional Intelligence and Acceptance | Ajahn Brahm | 19 May 2023](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejSaOOQ3VrY) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 30:34 to 33:54: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejSaOOQ3VrY&t=1834s
- [Gay Marriage, Why Not? | by Ajahn Brahm](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOPcbFhCEj0) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 12:02 to 14:35: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOPcbFhCEj0&t=722s
- [Anger and Forgiveness | Ajahn Brahm | 27 January 2023](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4JAjEj2d_c) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 25:38 to 28:04: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4JAjEj2d_c&t=1538s
- [Water the Flowers | Ajahn Brahm | 12 January 2024](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjgDjKn292w) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 49:14 to 50:09: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjgDjKn292w&t=2954s
- [What is Ego? | Ajahn Brahm | 17 May 2024](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5V1tsQHSkk) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 45:15 to 46:02: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5V1tsQHSkk&t=2715s
- [Right Speech | Ajahn Brahm | 22 March 2013](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89YXjb1rWSo) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 28:31 to 29:08: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89YXjb1rWSo&t=1711s
- [Helping Others with Empathy | Ajahn Brahm | 2 June 2023](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iffN3uTNCnQ) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 44:50 to 45:50: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iffN3uTNCnQ&t=2690s
- [Why Do People Come Here? | Ajahn Brahm | 18 December 2020](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwPyLq9Pxug) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 32:47 to 33:58: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwPyLq9Pxug&t=1967s
- [Buddhism and Teenagers | Ajahn Brahm | 27-06-2014](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBHKyAfqfgY) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 5:56 to 8:13: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBHKyAfqfgY&t=356s
- [Teenagers Are Aliens | Ajahn Brahm | 26 October 2012](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSzGDO6RAeQ) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 53:54 to 54:26: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSzGDO6RAeQ&t=3234s