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Story · Ajahn Brahm

The great physicist standing alone at dinner

As told by Ajahn Brahm in Putting Meaning Into Life | Ajahn Brahm | 03-12-2010

1 min read

Content note: named real person (unflattering); unverified details

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

one of the people which we met here, with Dennis, our president, Roger Penrose came into town some years ago and he's Mr. Black Hole. He's the guy who discovered black holes. So Roger Penrose, one of the greatest physicists of our age, probably up there with Stephen Hawkins. And he came and Dennis our president, so we went to have dinner with him. And, cause I'm well connected with the physicists over here. It's actually, it's really amazing, this dinner, all the other people there, they were sort of from, they were NASA, they were professor of Physics from all over the place, and I was only, sort of, the Buddhist monk [laughter] or anyone from religion which actually shows just how Buddhism and even just elite Physics, we can actually melt together. But you even look at this person who was so brilliant in his field but you couldn't have a conversation with him. And do you remember this Dennis? We were all just talking with each other, even I was just chatting about all sorts of stuff with these people from NASA and he was actually standing by himself, no one was talking with him. I was wondering that he is brilliant in front of the lecture theatre, apparently, he's brilliant, you know, on a piece of paper but he hasn't got his life together.

▶ Watch Ajahn Brahm tell it from 4:40 (to 5:52)

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

At a dinner of physicists and NASA scientists, Ajahn Brahm noticed that one celebrated guest stood apart, with no one chatting to him. It's one evening's impression, not a verdict on a person, but it taught him something early. Brilliance, fame and titles don't add up to a good life. Warmth and easy company count for more than honours.

In brief (our summary)

When Roger Penrose visits Perth, Ajahn Brahm and the Society's president join a dinner with NASA scientists and physics professors. Everyone chats happily — even the monk — while the brilliant physicist stands by himself, with no one talking to him: brilliant on paper and in the lecture theatre, but without his life together.

Teaching point

Academic brilliance, fame and honours are not the meaning of life.

When this story may help

  • career ambition
  • academic success
  • social isolation

Themes

Source & credit

Told by Ajahn Brahm in Putting Meaning Into Life | Ajahn Brahm | 03-12-2010 · 2010-12-05 · ▶ watch from 4:40 to 5:52 · Buddhist Society of Western Australia

1 other telling of this story

Caption notes: Manual (volunteer) captions; occasional misspellings kept as is.

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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