ON LAUGHTER I

“ He who laughs lasts” says a proverb! But how many people are capable of having a hearty laugh? We find many tormented by their sorrows and difficulties! They are unable to come out of their agony! They cannot laugh at their own faults or at the faults of others! As a result of this nature their suffering increases and they cannot come out of their suffering! “One has to find a reason always to laugh. It may not add years to your life but it surely will add life to your years” says a writer! The other day I was frantically searching for my glasses. I had misplaced it and searched for it at every possible spot in my home. I grew wild with my children, wife and others in the family for their carelessness and failure in spotting the spectacles. There was commotion in the house and members ran helter skelter in search of the lost or misplaced glasses of mine! Meanwhile, by chance, I touched my head and felt that some object had secured its place on the back of my head! Shuddering at that, I slowly removed it and found to my pleasant surprise and shock my glasses for which I cursed and abused all at home! I laughed to my heart’s content even as all at home couldn't control their laughter! Tension gave place to laughter and I laughed at my stupidity for troubling many at home. Incidents like this happen quite often and one has to take it easy and laugh it away!

One effective weapon against the sorrow of humanity is laughter. A good laugh heals a lot of hurts! When a child slips and falls down, his friend laughs!  The child, though in pain, forgets it and laughs! He forgets it and joins the other in laughter! Laughter is contagious and you cannot be dull or morose in the company of those who laugh! There is a ’Laughter Club’ where the members continue to laugh to forget their worries and anxieties. According to Thackery ‘ very  good laugh is sunshine in the house’ that dispels the gloom and darkness of sorrow. “ A smile is a curve that sets everything straight and it is the sun that drives the winter out!” We must be cautious of people who always smile for no reason! Outwardly they keep the smile but inwardly they harbor evil intentions and eventually end as villains! Their smile is deceptive! According to Charlie Chaplin the renowned comedian, “ A day without laughter is a day wasted. To truly laugh you must be able to take your pain and play with it.” In other words, you should learn to laugh at your own faults.

What is a good laugh?  It must be a hearty laugh.“A smile starts on the lips, a grin spreads to the eyes, a chuckle comes from the belly but a good laugh bursts forth from the soul, overflows and bubbles all round” says Carolyn Birmingham. It is the healthiest of all laughter!  Laughter is the panacea for all difficult situations. It is better to always laugh when you can. There cannot be any other medicine cheaper than laughter! The parents forget all their worries and bitterness in the laughter of their innocent child! Laughter makes one forget his worries and anxieties. One who laughs is always hopeful!  A man who is hopeless cannot laugh! “An optimist laughs to forget. A pessimist forgets to laugh. Laughter cleanses the soul! As soap is to the body so laughter is to the soul according to another writer. There is plenty of laughter in Nature! The flowers in their captivating colors and in full bloom laugh and dance in gaiety. “Earth laughs in  flowers” says the famous poet Ralph Waldo Emerson. Are we not soothed in our bitter feelings and cares and anxieties at the sight of a field with flowers in full bloom?

Various Gods and Goddesses in our Hindu mythology are represented with smiling faces! Is it not a sign that all humanity should be smiling? According to Psalm 42.5 “God has a smile on His face”. Plato the illustrious Greek philosopher says that even the Gods love jokes!  Humor and cutting jokes is not an easy task. The most difficult thing is to cut a joke and make others laugh! There are certain souls that can never understand a joke and laugh heartily. Humor and the ability to cut jokes is an inherent quality and the gift from God! Only a few are blessed with  this rare gift. God is is described as one playing with the lives of His creatures! “God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh” remarks Voltaire the French philosopher! God is “Ananda Swarupa” He is the embodiment of bliss or ananda! He radiates bliss wherever

He is and on all devotees. It is mirth and laughter that can erase the day to day problems and situations that raise their ugly head in our lives! “ Grim care, moroseness and anxiety, all this rust of life ought to be scoured off by the oil of mirth. Mirth is God’s medicine”says Henry Ward  Beecher.

An interesting incident from the Ramayana! At the time of the coronation of Sri Rama, after his return, Lakshmana felt sleepy and started yawning! He felt astonished at this and laughed! All the dignitaries including Sri Rama couldn't understand the reason for Lakshmana’s laughter. Rama thought it was because he brought back Sita after a long stay in Lanka! Sita too was offended thinking that Lakshmana was laughing at her! Vibhishana, Jambavan, Sugriva and Anjaneya felt that they were being laughed at! In fact Lakshmana had nothing to do with such thoughts. He had guarded his brother Rama all the while without a wink! But suddenly, on this momentous occasion he felt sleepy and couldn't control yawning! At this thought he laughed and it took some time for others to understand the predicament of Lakshmana! Laughter, without proper reason, is likely to be misunderstood and may create complications! It may question the sanity of the individual too! On the whole laughter is the medicine that can heal many untoward situations in our life! Let us cultivate healthy laughter and be happy!