"People suffer only because they take seriously what the Gods made for fun."
Alan Watts
The Lord said unto Adam, "I shall give you an invisible weapon that will serve you better than any weapons....A power that will save you even from yourself. I shall give you the sense of humour."
Laughter is freedom. It can take us from moping, to coping, to hoping!
Someone asked me what was the most unexpected thing I have experienced being a therapist. I can honestly say I never expected to laugh this much with my clients. Along with the tears, the anguish, the confrontation and insights, there is laughter. Not laughing at, mind you, but laughing with another.
Once with an American client, discussing the differences in the developed world and the third world, he heard 'turd' world and seriously said he could see turds everywhere in India! We realised the mis-communication and laughed heartily!
In my sessions with people, I know a shift has taken place when a client moves from, "I am ashamed to do this," to "I do that and I can now laugh about it." It's that head shaking, smiling, "there I go again," laughter that makes everything more manageable.
I remember one of my gurus saying,"Never, never, never be serious. You can be sincere without being serious!"
Humour is extremely healing. They say laughter is the best medicine and it's true. It can also ease the stress and tension of our regular day, reduce boredom at work and unite people of different backgrounds. It's not just frivolous, it can be a sharp tool to cut through the bullshit too.
Then, of course, there's the cosmic view, 'You are not who you think you are!' That's pretty funny, isn't it? I have watched countless spiritual teachers and the common trait amongst them is that they giggle a lot! In our society too it's the comedians who are actually truthful....they can step back and see the ridiculousness of life. George Carlin was one such comic guru, who delivered sobering doses of reality which were actually very true and hence very funny!
The enlightened fool is the one who sees the ego trips of society and can still find the joy and laughter in its midst....the latent, child-like bliss bubbling just beneath the surface of all seriousness.
Here's to hilarious wisdom!
Cheers!
Until next time.....
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