Story · Ajahn Brahm

The fortune tellers looked so poor

1 min read

The story — as told by Ajahn Brahm (verbatim captions)

they took me to this street where all the fortune tellers were and i looked at those fortune tellers and they were just so ill dressed poor and some of them were out in the rain and i realized my goodness you call that a fortune teller they certainly can't tell their own fortune how on earth can they tell yours

▶ Watch Ajahn Brahm tell it from 4:48 (to 5:15)

A reflection (in the spirit of Ajahn Brahm's talk)

Shown a street of fortune tellers in Hong Kong, Ajahn Brahm noticed how poor they looked, some sitting in the rain. If they can't tell their own fortune, how can they tell yours? People ask him for lottery numbers too. Be wary of anyone selling certainty about the future. Live well in the present.

In brief (our summary)

In Hong Kong Ajahn Brahm was taken to a street of fortune tellers who looked ill-dressed and out in the rain — if they cannot tell their own fortune, how can they tell yours?

Teaching point

Be sceptical of anyone who claims certainty about your future while their own life looks uncertain.

When this story may help

  • wanting to know the future
  • anxiety about outcomes

Themes

Source & credit

Told by Ajahn Brahm in Uncertainty | Ajahn Brahm | 6 November 2020 · 2020-11-06 · ▶ watch from 4:48 to 5:15 · Buddhist Society of Western Australia

Caption notes: YouTube auto-captions: unpunctuated, words left exactly as captioned.

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

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