Some of the deepest truths about life can be understood only with a fine appreciation of the absurd. It is when we laugh at the ridiculous nature of reality that we also learn to handle it with great finesse, or so the evidence from Zen practitioners would seem to suggest. 
A great deal of story, anecdote, riddle and joke has sprung up around this particular form of Buddhism. In the Zen way, it is OK to laugh out loud. In fact, only by doing so may one be seen to be getting closer to the truth. Zen jokes make us wonder why we are taking our petty concerns oh-so-seriously. They remind us that in the midst of logic and scholarship, saintliness and ceremony, there is still the wisdom of the fool!
Find out more about the functions of humor in Zen Buddhism and you may begin to have a different perspective on laughter and humor in general. While Zen humor usually delivers a powerful lesson, some have used it to create humorous descriptions of special activities. These Zen lessons from a biker have their own rueful appeal - they teach you that every activity can be approached with the appropriate amount of Zen-ness - perfect attention to detail and living every moment. When you have passed every obstacle that stands in the midst of such a path, you reach a sublime enjoyment of the activity itself - whether it is cycling, or painting, or whatever.
With Zen humor, you laugh your way into a supreme appreciation of the present moment.
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