Search the Community

The Dao of Humor. The Way of Laughter. Play. More and more, play and humor distinguish themselves as highest skill, incredibly potent. The mat is the mat. and while meditation embodies mind, on and off cushion, the real work, for me in the moment is not in blank mind, nor attentive focus. Not in visualizing paths of energy in or outside the body... The real work for me is in transmuting hatred and vehement anger for laughter. Germans are good at exemplifying this, in their response when the uber hateful fascists hold their annual 'hate parade'. The rest line the streets with humorous signs and throw a party, loving and laughing their asses off. Nothing shoots hate in the foot for me more effectively than authentic laughter. Like bells ringing in fog. I came to discover Chuang Tze rather late in life. My first philosopher idol was George Carlin. Never considered him a comedian, even when I first laughed myself sore memorizing his first album when I was 10. George was a social commentarian an observer and a philosopher to me, who adroitly used keen wit and his scathingly fast intellect to illustrate the absurdities of social life through his hysterical observations and stories. Carlin for me, echoes like a modern Chuang Tze. Illustrating the absurd extremities of our dark and ignorant bits, with humor and keen insight born of a desire to laugh instead of rage. Playfulness and laughter in the face of rage. This is my medicine of late... my recipe for praxis in the day to day. So on that note... Here's George Carlin on 'stuff'. "ever notice how other people's stuff is shit... and your shit... is stuff?"