When the Dalai Lama came to California a couple of years ago, I listened to his lecture via a webcast.  He spoke about peace, compassion, and global leadership while chuckling frequently throughout the lecture.  I thought it was funny (unusual) he would laugh during a talk on serious subjects, but his laughter contagiously made me laugh.

Another time, I had the privilege of attending an event with Deepak Chopra and Eckhart Tolle both I admire as spiritual teachers.  Knowing of Eckhart’s difficult past, I expected him to have a serious tone.  He surprised and amused me by his elf-like laugh after each profound message.

Later I learned laughter is a sign of enlightenment – a blissful state where worries of the world are released, transcending you into a sense of joyfulness.  Once free from the conventional world, you can see the world in a new way.  Embrace it with sincerity and compassion.  The jovial expression of the Laughing Buddha, known as Bu-dai playfully encourages us to enjoy laughter of optimism.