Buddhism and Humor

I would like to reflect on Buddhism and our sense of humor. I think that having a sense of humor is not just a healthy thing for us, mentally and physically, but I think that one could say that a Buddhist life is one of having a sense of humor. Especially if we can laugh at our own foolishness, that is a very Buddhistic quality to have.  

Over the years, some of my favorite ministers to listen to all had an acute sense of humor. Rev. Tetsuo Unno and Rev. Mas Kodani used to give Dharma talks that sometimes had everyone rolling in laughter, but their talks also had great depth and meaning to them as well. They were not just entertaining talks.  

I will never forget one funny story that Rev. Tets shared in a talk. He recalled when he was a young minister first starting to serve at the Seattle Betsuin. I believe it might have been the first funeral that he participated in.  

He had to wear the formal robes for a funeral service, which consists of a garment called a “hakama” that is worn underneath our robes. A hakama is like a pair of very baggy pants. Rev. Tets put the hakama on, but mistakenly put both of his legs into one leg of the hakama. When he had to go up to the altar, he had to walk like a penguin. It is hilarious just to picture that in one’s mind.  

Many years ago, I was outside in front of the Hondo after the Orange County Buddhist Church (OCBC) Sunday service talking to people. One of our members came up to me and said, “Sensei, I need to talk to you.” He pulled me off to the side of the Hondo and I thought that maybe he was going to ask for counseling or had something personal to discuss with me.  

When we were away from everyone, he said to me, “Sensei, your zipper is down.” I looked down and my zipper was wide open! Talk about not being able to see yourself. Something so close to me and I couldn’t even see it. How kind that member was to pull me off to the side to tell me my zipper was down.   

If we can laugh at ourselves and at our own foolishness or even be able to laugh at our own ego-centeredness, I think that is a very healthy quality to have and very Buddhistic. If you can’t laugh at your own foolishness, then how else would you react? Maybe you might react angrily or defensively and miss the opportunity to really see yourself.  

One of the favorite sounds that I loved to hear at our festivals at OCBC was the sound of laughter coming from the members. We would all be working so hard at the festivals, in the heat, in the busyness of the festival, but I could always hear laughter from members working and talking together and having a good time. It was a real joy to hear. Sometimes it came from the Jr. YBA kids. Sometimes it came from the ABA group making the chicken. Throughout the day and into the evening, laughter could be heard.   

I can’t cite any quotations from sutras or Shinran Shonin that actually state that one should maintain a sense of humor, but that is how I see and interpret Buddhism in our modern context. We can laugh with others. We can laugh at funny stories in Dharma talks. We can laugh at ourselves.  

Once I went to a buffet restaurant with my wife and I noticed this lady who had a huge pile of food on her plate. I whispered to my wife, “Look at that lady’s pile of food on her plate!” I then looked at my own plate and it was piled just as high as that lady’s plate. How easy it is to see others, and how hard it is to see ourselves. We also might find that we can easily laugh at the foolishness of others, but it is harder to laugh at ourselves. We must laugh at ourselves first and foremost.