Theos-Talk Archives (April 1996 Message tl00466)

Jerry S:

>Our intent may be simply to see where the other
>person is, spiritually.  If they laugh with us, they are far along.
>If they cry out in moral anguish, they are standing right in
>front of the starting gate.

That may help us judge them, but should we be testing people
and playing guru to them, or treat them with greater respect?
Some people may choose the role of trickster, but I'm not sure
that it's the best way to promote Theosophy and the spiritual
Path.

>Humor, Eldon. If you don't have a sense of humor, you are
>not a very spiritual person, regardless of how many books
>you have read and years you have studied.

Humor is important, and when we can freely laugh about something,
it means that we don't have any inner conflicts in that area.
Sometimes, though, certain subjects have considerable unconscious
content associated with them; there may be buried feelings and
inner conflicts that need to be sorted out, and the joke turns
sour in someone's eyes and they are upset.

A victim of sexual abuse as a child may not like sexual
oriented jokes when growing up. Someone with angry feelings
in a certain direction may not like jokes that mock things
they are sensitive about. Jokes that appear mean-spirited
and mocking in an abusive way are not appreciated. One of
us may not like "theosophical buffoon" jokes, another might
not like "stupid psychics" jokes.

Sometimes the objection to humor is that it is insensitive,
appearing to be callous, mocking in a bitter way, and out
of place. This may not be the intention of the jokester,
but still seen and felt as such. In this case, the offended
people need to ask the jokester "is this what you intended?"
and the jokester needs to clarify their intentions.

Consider this example of jokes that would be out-of-place.
Say there's a gathering of theosophists holding a sacred
seasons meeting, where they are gathered to express appreciation
for life and feel as a group some reverence for the majesty of
life. Some college students, drunk, come barging into the meeting,
along with some barking dogs, flying chickens, etc., like in some
low-grade movie. The pranksters may feel they've had a good joke,
and the theosophists may disagree. I wouldn't simply put it that
the theosophists are lacking in a sense of humor and therefore
unspiritual tyros.

A good joke is funny, and it's great to have a laugh at times.
But we have to consider if something is really a joke, or if it
is a guise for other motivations? Is the intent to bring a
smile to everyones' faces and to brighten their hearts, or is
it to goad people one thinks are uptight into losing their cool,
getting angry, and losing their tempers? That would not be
humor and joking, it would be the act of a troubled child with
an attention-seeking disorder. Someone doing this might hide
behind saying "I have a sense of humor and they don't!"

As I said, though, we cannot judge the motivations of another,
but should simply ask them what they intended, and give them
every opportunity to put things in the best possible light (e.g.
that they did not mean ill and everything's fine and we're all
still buddies and let's get on with life etc.)

I'm certainly not averse to humor myself, with both a six-year-old
girl and one-year-old boy around the house! There's a lot of
joking that goes on, good natured laughing, etc.

>I hate to say this in such blunt terms, but there it is.

You don't really think that tricksters are the only ones with a
sense of humor? I'd agree that it's possible for someone to be
in dead earnest about the Path, regarding it with a life-or-death
seriousness, yet be light-hearted and having a good sense of
humor. But I'm not sure they would idly stand by and laugh if
they thought the sublime Mysteries were subject to public
mockery and disgrace! But this is not what I think you mean;
you're referring to the inability to laugh, smile, and not always
see life in dark, heavy terms.

-- Eldon