# The diamond necklace deal

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Joke
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-joke-diamond-necklace-six-months
- Themes: humour, marriage
- Life situations: marital conflict

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

A man buys his wife a very expensive diamond necklace; she never talks to him for six months. Friends call her ungrateful. He says: 'Yes, that was the deal.'

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

the man who brought his wife a very expensive diamond necklace did I say this last week he brought his wife a very expensive diamond necklace and she never talked to him for six months afterwards and his friends said that is just so ungrateful you know you bought her this expensive beautiful diamond necklace and she won't even talk to you and it's six months has gone past now he said yes that was the deal

## Teaching point

Told as an imperfect, beautiful joke — and as dark humour about marital silence.

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

A husband bought his wife a diamond necklace and she didn't speak to him for six months: that was the deal. Ajahn Brahm admits it's not a perfect joke. Perfection is what we expect; beauty is what we find when we stop. Stop trying to perfect your partner. Look for their beauty, and they may surprise you.

## Source

- [Expectations | Ajahn Brahm | 15 April 2016](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MV0wiAuOqik) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 18:49 to 19:25: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MV0wiAuOqik&t=1129s