108 Faces of Buddha

Namaste to All ... No matter where you are coming from, this is a time of togetherness, laughter, love, and compassion.  I am reminded of Hotei. 

Thanks to the unknown artist.

He carries a never-empty bag filled with gifts for those on the pathway to enlightenment, for children and those in need.  Osho tells this story of him ...

Hotei, a Zen master, was passing through a village He was one of the most beautiful persons who have ever walked on earth. He was known to people as ‘The Laughing Buddha’ — he used to laugh continuously. But sometimes he would sit under a tree — in this village he was sitting under a tree, with closed eyes; not laughing, not even smiling; completely calm and collected.

Somebody asked: “You are not laughing, Hotei?”
He opened his eyes and he said, “I am preparing.”

The questioner could not understand. He said, 

“What do you mean by ‘preparing’?”
He said, “I have to prepare myself for laughter. 

I have to give myself rest. 

I have to go in. 

I have to forget the whole world 

so that I can come again rejuvenated 

and I can again laugh.”

Osho continues ... If you really want to laugh you will have to learn how to weep. If you cannot weep and if you are not capable of tears, you will become incapable of laughter. A man of laughter is also a man of tears — then a man is balanced. A man of bliss is also a man of silence. A man who is ecstatic is also a man who is centered. They both go together. And out of this togetherness of polarities a balanced being is born. And that is what the goal is. 

        Blessings to Everyone!  Thank you for being here!