The Dalai Lama: Why I Laugh

 I do laugh preparation exercises.  First work on my muscle memory.  Many years ago I learned that in order to play my mandolin, I had to practice the same thing over and over and then my finger muscles would remember how to do it without me even thinking.  I am training my face muscles to smile all the time. There are 300 muscles in your face and they all can learn to have a smile with practice.  Their natural state is not relaxed, it is what your have taught them to do.  Why not teach them to smile.  What happens then is amazing. People see you smileing and their natural response is to smile back.  Note Dali Lama; he smiles all the time and most people can not help smileing back.  Also, when ever I see myself in a mirror or a window and I am smileing, I cheer right up. It is contageous. The second thing I do to prepare for laughing is I listen carefully for what others say that is funny. I mostly ignore the negative and focus on the funny.  This is a good exercise in listening and I hear a lot more funny things.  As soon as I hear something funny, I laugh, out loud.  I laugh so the person that said the funny thing hears, so others hear and listen more carefully and also so I hear myself laugh.  This builds my confidence, gets me in a good mood and exercises my already strong smileing muscles even more.  It also helps others to enjoy a good laugh.

I deeply value authenticity and compassion as the two basic attributes of an evolving being. I have observed and experienced these two essential qualities in many people whom I love, admire and emulate. In my life Mahatma Gandhi and Dalai Lama have been such highly evolved human beings.

I was blessed to  experience the presence of both of them. Both had gone through very difficult times  in their lives which made them internally strong and grow spiritually. Their authenticity was expressed in what they said and how they lived.

I was four years old. My dad used to take us to attend evening prayers held on the bank of the river Sabarmati. I was too little to understand what Gandhiji said but I will never forget his Presence exuberating his compassion, total presence and effortless smile. I felt deeply connected with him though we were age wise widely different.

When Dalai Lama migrated to India from Tibet I felt very excited and happy to have his presence in Dharamashala. When I saw him  at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago I felt his inspiring and uplifting presence and joyful energy. When I listened to him I felt the depth of his wisdom and the heart-felt compassion.

Both have taught me how to go through hardships, struggles and the inevitable pain without breaking down and how to cultivate authenticity and compassion, how to serve and live a fulfilling life.

I value the once-a-week satsanga, the gathering, we have without seeing our faces and without hearing a word. I feel connected without sight and sound.

With love and gratitude. Namaste.

Jagdish P Dave

I smile simply seeing a picture of the Dalai Lama's face, and I often laugh when I hear him laugh.  His smile and laugh are contagious.  Even though he has experienced much tragedy, he seems to always be cheerful and have a cheerful demeanor.  Sometimes he seems mischievous, and my response to that is to smile or chuckle even more.  I guess his manner comes from the "happy state of mind" that he has cultivated.  I'm sure a happy state of mind helps me laugh authentically, and laughing authentically also helps me have a happy state of mind.  I think I seldom laugh inauthentically.  I laugh in response to what strikes me as funny, such as funny comments and jokes.  I laugh at times at my own and others' silliness.  I often laugh in response to others' laughing.  Even though I laugh fairly easily, I would like to laugh more, rather than becoming irritated.  I think authentic laughing comes from an awareness of being in this world but not of it, which gives a perspective from which I can laugh at much of what we humans do, and I'd rather laugh than cry.  I think I inculcate the ability to laugh authentically by growing in wisdom, being grateful, and seeing positively, all of which apparently generate that happy state of mind.  Being with others who laugh authentically and easily definitely also helps.  Authentic laughing is healthy. 

. I greatly agree with him when he says thinking that compassion, patience, and rationality are good will not produce those qualities just by thinking they are good.  I agree that anger, jealousy and competition are our enemies.  People who are angry, jealous and competitive can more easily remind us to be patient and compassionate. I do not wish to be irrational but to put rationality on a level with patience and compassion is not a good idea.  Some angry, jealous, and competitive people use rational statements to delude others about the value of competition etc. I love his smiling and laughing and I believe they are contagious. I frequently laugh and smile because there is much to laugh and smile about. I understand relatively little about our mysterious universe and my increasing lack of desire to understand much of what I experience makes me smile and sometimes laugh. If I were with you now I would be laughing and smiling. Thank you for the opportunity to respond. Warm and kind regards to everyone.