# Why some are born intelligent

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-sutta-cause-of-stupidity-not-asking
- Themes: wisdom, questioning, karma, humour
- Life situations: learning, blind faith, study

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

From a sutta: a man asks the Buddha what karma makes people wealthy, then what makes them beautiful or ugly (Ajahn Brahm breaks off to explain why he now stares at the carpet when he says 'ugly' — a woman in Singapore complained). Then the killer question: why are some people born intelligent and others struggle? The Buddha: the karmic reason for stupidity in your next life is not asking questions in this life.

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

And there they tell the story of this man who came up to the Buddha and asked him like a question on karma. He was saying, you know, I've noticed in this world, some people are just born wealthy, and they managed to maintain that wealth and increase it. Now other people are born poor, and sometimes they get wealthy, but you know, there are some people, they're poor, they work really hard, and they try very hard and they work just all hours of the night and still, it's just so hard to make ends meet. Why can't you be wealthy? While other people they seem to work much less than you, they just got the gift of making money. It must be some karma from a past life that we're born poor in this life. So he asked, What do I have to do in this life? What karma do I have to make in this life to be rich in my next life?" That's a fair enough question. so the Buddha gave him an answer. He was so happy with it. He asked the second question, he said, I've also noticed that sometimes people are very beautiful, while other people are ugly. And you may notice when I mentioned the word "ugly", I stared at the carpet. And the reason for this, the reason for this is I told this story in Singapore once. And I just, I just happened to be looking at a certain woman when I mentioned the word "ugly". Oh, my goodness, did she complain. She said, "Why did you mention the word ugly when you're looking at me?" It's even worse, if I've mentioned the word "beautiful" when I'm looking at someone, they get the wrong idea. (laughter) So anyway, he, the Buddha explained the cause for beauty and ugliness in your next life. But then the killer question, why are some people intelligent, and other people they just have such a hard time at school and university. You've been with some people, they hardly do any of the homework, they just float through school, they get the prizes, and they go to universities, they get double first. You know, for the rest of us. It's just so hard just now just getting the TEE passed. He said, "Why is it? What's the karmic reason why people are born intelligent, and other people aren't intelligent? What's the karmic cause?" And the Buddha said, and this was a beautiful answer. "The karmic reason for stupidity in your next life is not asking questions in this life."

## Teaching point

Wisdom grows from questioning and investigating, not from passively soaking up teachings.

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

Asked why some people are born clever, the Buddha replied that the karmic cause of stupidity is not asking questions. Ajahn Brahm loves that answer. Don't just soak things up, from him, from books or from the internet. Ask, poke and investigate. Wisdom grows from curiosity.

## Source

- [Wisdom and Stupidity | Ajahn Brahm | 04-02-2011](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbOShAIwNJA) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 14:12 to 16:35: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbOShAIwNJA&t=852s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Bringing Up Children | Ajahn Brahm | 09-12-2011](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANrqHO24Ttw) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 15:50 to 20:02: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANrqHO24Ttw&t=950s