The whole affair of religion became heavy and serious and most of the people have been living with that burden on their heart. They forgot to laugh and celebrate. Religion cannot be anything other than a celebration of life. And the serious person becomes handicapped: he creates barriers. He cannot dance, he cannot sing, he cannot celebrate. The very dimension of celebration disappears from his life. He becomes desert-like. And if you are a desert, you can go on thinking and pretending that you are religious but you are not. A man too much burdened by theories becomes serious. A man who is unburdened, has no burden of theories over his being, starts laughing.
Existence loves laughter. You may have observed, or not, that man is the only animal in the whole of existence who is capable of laughing. Laughter is the only distinguishing mark that you are not a buffalo, you are not a donkey; you are a human being. Laughter defines your humanity and your evolution. And the greatest laugh is at your own ridiculous things. You cannot laugh in the future and you cannot laugh in the past. All those people who have created this retarded humanity have taken away all juice, all laughter, all smiles, and dragged everybody into being inauthentic. And if you are inauthentic, insincere, you can never grow the seed that has been given to you by this great compassionate universe.
Millions of people have tried meditation and dropped out of it because they took it very seriously. Meditation is not about mind controlling, it is about let your thoughts run by, acknowledge but not engage as a participant. Meditation brings out a relaxing mind state to let go and to take it easy; then things blossom without any tension. You are not taking it easy, you are making it difficult. A laughter which is not total will be phony, a pretension, just a performance. So when you laugh, you also laugh totally. That is the only act you do totally and that laughter is total. Laughing is a natural conclusion that it is a total act, because it corresponds with your experience. You cannot laugh partially. Try, and you will fail. You can laugh only totally. That is a unique quality about laughter. A meditation has its unique quality; in laughter you are total without anyone saying to you, “Be total.” Laughter certainly is very special. Your whole body laughs. Each atom, each cell of your body laughs, participates in it. Seriousness can never be total. It is always partial, the very other extreme of laughter. It goes on becoming narrower and narrower and narrower. The more serious you are, the more narrow you become. The more you go towards laughter, the more wide and the more open, the more vulnerable, the more total, you become. ❤️
So very true KoKo. My mum was very religious but she sure knew how to laugh and smile, she was one of the post positive people I knew. She was absolutely awesome and I have amazing memories 🙏🙏💜💜💜🤗🤗 xxx
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Aweee Alicia, your mom sure knew how to enjoy life with positivity. Forget all that inhibition, stay in the moment and be whole. I hope you had a great walk today as the weather allowed. 🤗🌈☀️❤️❤️❤️🙏xxx
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She really did, she was amazing. Life is for enjoying. I had a fabulous walk today thank you KoKo, very windy and cold but dry.🤗🌈💜💜🌈 xxx
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Aweeeee I’m glad Alicia. It’s beautiful over here I might just enjoy, be here with HU before I’m locked down for work the next 5 days over the weekend 😭😭🤣🤣🤣❤️❤️❤️xxx
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It was so good to get out. Oh no, I'm so sorry you're locked down, you'll have to bake 😂😂🌈💜💜💜 xxx
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🤣🤣🤣all gowned up like going to space still, sweat bullocks can’t even breath. Bake to the max 😂😂😂😂❤️❤️❤️xxx
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I'll send some cold weather over, that'll cool you down😂😂😂😂💜💜💜 xxx
Add a touch of humor serum to make life more humorous 🤣🤣
Yes, no wise master has ever used the words "mind control" in their teachings. It's not about controlling. The brain has its purpose and you are just silently aware of it. By and by theres less commotion in the mind and you feel peaceful. The very effort to control will act as a barrier for your meditation. Its against the nature of it. Great post again and thank you for all your laughters 🙏🙏🕉☯️❤🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
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Word👍 Only true enlightened people get this concept. Can’t control and let go at the same time 🤣🤣🤣. You’re welcomed. Keep the laughter, the high vibe flow and all that jazz ☮️☯️❤️
I just read your post. Well said and well written.. If I may offer a perspective. Chimpanzees, (and it's well documented) are capable of and do indeed laugh. So we're not alone with that emotion. laughter is most important in maintaining a healthy mind and spirit. It release than any other function of the brain. I personally gave up on "religion" after growing up in a family and community that was very much influenced by Catholicism and Southern Baptist "Hell Fire and Brimstone" ..BOTH of them relied on guilt and fear as a way of controlling thought and behavior.. A tour of Vietnam helped put the last nail in that coffin . I took up Taoism as a way of guiding my life. Not a religion, rather a philosophy of living. A philosophy older than Christianity, Buddhism, and Confucian thinking... ALL of them drew heavily on The Tao... No guilt no dogma. Works for me.. Please don't think I'm denigrating religions. On the contrary, what ever gets you through the night. We aal need something bigger than ourselves to lean on.
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Thank you for taking interest in reading my post. Researchers sequenced the chimp genome and found that humans share about 99% of our DNA with chimpanzees which make them our closest living so they do indeed laugh like us. That’s quite a journey you’ve had Lazaruslong that I find quite similar to mine. There are two main branches of religions in Vietnam: Buddhism and Catholicism due to French colony back in late 1940s and then American. I’m originally from there so I experienced all those influences through family traditions. Coming from a hardcore Catholic family with the 10 commandment plague by the door way took a toll on me my entire childhood and continued leaping into my adult life. I didn’t find any relief from suffering but oppression and mind boggling with my own identity. When we had to go through life inauthentic to our core of existence, i call that suffering. I looked into all practices and found even Buddhism didn’t satisfy me completely as any religion with its endless loop to all forms of restrictions and rituals. Osho on the other hand spoke most to me how his teaching is about joy, laughter, playfulness which are everything I stand for. His teaching is based on the ancient Taoist Chuang Tzu and he’s one of the most modern Taoists. He wrote a book about Tao, the pathless path, with such fresh and contemporary interpretation. Even the modern Sadhguru speaks like Rajneesh aka Osho but his approach is more of a motivational speaker than a true master that can strip you down to the core for you to know your true self. We are always conditioned by society, religion that deep down we are simply human being not human doing. I would love to hear all your experiences you had in Vietnam that opened you up to a whole new way of living. I am ecstatic in learning from others’ enlightened journey to gain new perspectives everyday. Much love and lights to you. 🌈🙏xxx
Hi,Let me start by saying my Vietnam experience was not the least rewarding. I spent my "tour" on a ship just off the coast. I often was in a position where I had to deal with the dead and dying and severely wounded Marines attached to my ship. For over 50 yrs. I've been dealing with PTSD (survivor guilt). That experience brought me closer to Taoism and further from "Christianity" , "organized" religions in general.
I am very familiar with Chuang Tzu in that I have a companion work that follows up with Lao Tzu and the Tao.
I also had, to put in mildly, a tumultuous childhood. Between the religious dichotomy that was part of my family it was a text book case of a "Dysfunctional Family". Like you, I looked for answers to life's questions and guidance without the "reward and punishment" model influencing my experience and learning. I turned to nature and the outdoors. Eventually I discovered the Tao after much searching and false beginnings in many faiths and spiritual beliefs.
As to Osho. I was in Portland ,Ore. during the time of the Antelope Valley episode. I personally had one to one interactions with many of his followers and the many homeless persons the Compound brought in to take part in the political and social turmoil that occurred. I was a social worker at the time. I "picked up the pieces " of not only the homeless people but also the followers that were left in the wake of the Rajneesh "experience". That experience left me further convinced (IMO) that any faith or religion that controls people or is in a position to influence their behavior in the name of that faith, is suspect and (by me) is to be shunned. That opinion is based on my experiences with Catholicism, Baptist Dogma and my experiences with the Rajneeshi's . I will not judge you personally, it is your choice.
The Tao teaches human interaction, it provides a guide for living. Again IMO No hard rules, no dogma no adherence to any doctrine or leader. The individual gleans what insights and wisdom with in the Tao. There is no punishment meted out by the Tao.
The Tao cannot be seen, yet it is visible, The Tao cannot be grasped yet it has form, The Tao makes no sound, yet it can be heard, it is form and formless, it is timeless. The Tao has no beginning and no end yet it exists."
Loosely quoted from The Tao Te Ching LaoTzu.
Nothing more, nothing less. It is simplicity itself, and therefore has created a mysticism about it (that) has been abused and misused by those seeking to control others , profit from it and , which goes against the whole idea of the Tao. After all, HOW can something so simple and non threatening be a workable philosophy? There HAS to be a catch.. Right? Wrong. I studied the Tao for more than 50 years, read various texts about it and I feel I speak from a solid foundation. To me, one concept comes through. That is... The Tao presents a guide for living. The rewards and punishments are taken from how you choose to live (through The Tao), make your own choices and , hopefully" learn and grow into a better person. Again, NO dogma. Also, no one presents themselves as a leader, profit, or judge.
As to myself and how I live The Tao, I try by example to be the best person I can. I never present my "faith" if you will, unless the subject comes up in conversation. I simply give my brief understanding of (the Tao) to those who inquire. I never try to "sell" the Tao.
You have certainly got me thinking. Thank you.
Since you have experience with Buddhism. I will leave you with this.. and not lightly as so many do these days.
Namaste. 🙏 Love and peace be with you.
Till next time.
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Hi, I’m truly sorry for your over 50 yr of suffering from PTSD but you found your way in the Now with Tao as your guide of living. Through trials and errors we find our way back to our own existence. I do like the concept of “Nothing more, nothing less” as there’s no control but the simplicity itself. I read this story embarked on how Taoism way of life: Three men fall into a river after the bridge they were walking on collapsed. The Taoist would think he’s now floating in the river naturally.....so he decides to wait and see what will happen next, confident that whatever happens is part of natural process of Tao. It comes down to the same fundamental concept of acceptance and let go. Psychologically, we look for satisfaction based on these five basic needs: physiological needs, safety needs, belongingness and love needs, esteem needs, and self-actualization needs. These are factors would make or break a person and enlightenment comes in to raise self-awareness to release us from suffering if these five needs are not met. Enlightenment is a journey, not one time found and done. For my own practice, I don’t have a one guideline to way of living as I find myself constantly shift through the waves of life happening around me but by the end of the day I know I’m content with my being and that matters the most to me. I’m no servant to anyone but stay true to my authentic with the main motto: love, life, and laughter. “A little foolishness, enough to enjoy life, and a little wisdom to avoid the errors, that will do.” The moment we start putting ourselves in a box, imprisonment is created.
I myself at the beginning was very taken back by the Netflix documentary Wild Wild Country that portrayed such biased pieces of information. Osho was one of the most genuine enlightened teacher that paradoxically most doubted because of his rebellion of creating doubts to raise the truth in everything. He didn’t look for followers, he looked for disciples who can interpret his teaching to change global consciousness with the attitude of not so care about respectability. He spoke publicly in 1984: “I have found my people and I have to arrange a silent communion, which will help in two ways: those who cannot understand silence will drop out. That will be good weeding; otherwise they will go on clinging around me of the words, because their intellect feels satisfied. And I am not here to satisfy their intellect. My purpose is far, far deeper, or a different dimension.” Osho could easily have millions of followers and respect if he had stayed in a simple life and gone along with what society expected from a guru who should live a life without pleasure and materials. His biggest mistake was allowing the new commune to be built in Oregon in the first place. Osho was never interested in politics affairs. His original plan for his commune was in North India, Himalayas but never got executed and was misstepped by one of his first sannyasins, Ma Yoga Laxmi and his overpowered secretary Sheela. He had far too much faith in what he thought the principles of the American constitution and freedom of Democracy. The truth was American people weren’t ready for an Indian guru. As soon as the ranch was built, a local Christian anti-cult organization began distributing leaflets containing inflammatory, untrue reports to stir up tensions among local community. With his rebellious attitude he pissed people off with his collection of rolls Royces. In sum, what he teaches is relevant to our own personal interests. I appreciate his relaxed, life affirmative philosophy encouraging celebration and meditation. Society needs sheep not independent thinker or a leader. For instance, look around, people would go on and on moaning about the correlation between inner beauty and putting on makeup like that would be a baseline on judging another human being. Been there done that with many cosmetic companies with messages of women empowerment that they can do whatever to bring out their natural features and feel good for once so putting on makeup like a clown is your personal problem 😂. Society loves to judge and will continue to condemn another person just because he/she is different so let alone a well known enlightened guru like Osho, inevitably would take the heat for owning luxurious items and his lifestyles while diminishing his true essence offering to the world. With the current chaos in our country, I simply find myself not affected by any of that because I related to his teaching: “ I want you to become absolutely selfish. Love yourself, be yourself. Don’t be distracted by any type of people - religious, political, social, educational. Your first responsibility is neither towards religion nor towards nation. Your first responsibility is towards yourself.” That is profound to me as I find myself suffer free through all the chaos around. This is purely my own understanding as we share our experiences and perceptions.
I’m grateful to hear your enlightenment journey with different perspectives that I like to exam for myself. I’m still very green in this journey and there’s always much to learn. ☮️☯️🙏
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😵 I'll have to take a bit and respond later. You provided a lot of ideas to discuss. This may take a while. ✌️
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The joy of laughter 
