Lzh Dg Bi Pm Sk 24Laughing Loudly
Pāli / Sanskrit:Ujjagghika
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THE SUTTA ON LOUD LAUGHTER
Ujjagghika Sutta — An Exposition of the Vinaya Text
Background
The Sutta on Loud Laughter belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon in the Theravāda tradition, where rules of practice and instructive anecdotes concerning discipline in the Sangha, the monastic community, are recorded. This text appears in the context of the Buddha and his disciples having recently established the Sangha, when principles of conduct suitable for communal life needed to be set forth.
In the early period of the Buddha Dharma, the Buddha observed unsuitable actions among some bhikkhus or practitioners, and from this established precepts to protect the teaching and maintain the dignity of the Sangha. These rules were not punishments, but instructions to help monastics move toward liberation (mokkha) and protect the image of the Buddha Dharma in society.
Main Content
The Sutta on Loud Laughter focuses on the conduct of laughing loudly, that is, laughing in a noisy way and causing disturbance during meditative training (jhāna) or Sangha gatherings. The Buddha points out that this conduct violates the spirit of mental concentration (samādhi), which is an essential factor on the path of practice.
Loud laughter is considered a sign of a mind lacking discipline and mindfulness (sati). It reflects laxity in practice and is not in keeping with the way of one who has gone forth from the household life in search of awakening. Especially during periods of meditative practice or Dharma study, loud laughter can interrupt the concentration of others and break the dignified atmosphere necessary for refined progress.
The Buddha instructed bhikkhus to preserve natural gladness, but to avoid loud and raucous laughter. A smile should be gentle and moderate, reflecting a peaceful mind in harmony with the rules of the Sangha.
Practical Meaning
The Sutta on Loud Laughter teaches us about mental discipline (indriya-samvara), one of the foundations of the Buddha Dharma.
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