Laughter brings some energy from your inner source to your surface. Energy starts flowing. It follows laughter like a shadow. Have you watched it? When you really laugh, for those few moments you are in a deep meditative state. Thinking stops. It is impossible to laugh and think together. They are diametrically opposite: either you can laugh or you can think. If you really laugh, thinking stops. If you are still thinking, laughter will be just so-so, lagging behind. It will be a crippled laughter.

When you really laugh, suddenly mind disappears. As far as I know, dancing and laughter are the best, natural, easily approachable doors. If you really dance, thinking stops. You go on and on, you whirl and whirl, and you become a whirlpool. All boundaries, all divisions are lost. You don't even know where your body ends and where existence begins. You melt into existence and existence melts into you; there is an overlapping of boundaries. And if you are really dancing - not managing it but allowing it to manage you, allowing it to possess you - if you are possessed by dance, thinking stops.

The same happens with laughter. If you are possessed by laughter, thinking stops. Laughter can be a beautiful introduction to a nonthinking state.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Every morning upon waking, before opening your eyes, stretch like a cat. Stretch every fiber of your body. After three or four minutes, with eyes still closed, begin to laugh. For five minutes just laugh. At first you will be doing it, but soon the sound of your attempt will cause genuine laughter. Lose yourself in laughter. It may take several days before it really happens, because we are so unaccustomed to the phenomenon. But before long it will be spontaneous and will change the whole nature of your day.

THE LAUGHING BUDDHA
 

There is a story, in Japan, of the laughing buddha, Hotei. His whole teaching was just laughter. He would move from one place to another, from one marketplace to another marketplace. He would stand in the middle of the market and start laughing - that was his sermon.

His laughter was catching, infectious; a real laughter, his whole belly pulsating with the laughter, shaking with laughter. He would roll on the ground with laughter. People who would collect together,they would start laughing, and then the laughter would spread, and tidal waves of laughter, and the whole village would be overwhelmed with laughter.

People used to wait for Hotei to come to their village because he brought such joy, such blessings. He never uttered a single word, never. You asked about Buddha and he would laugh; you asked about enlightenment and he would laugh; you asked about truth and he would laugh. Laughter was his only message.