--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: LAUGHTER is the very essence of religion…" description: "\"LAUGHTER is the very essence of religion. Seriousness is never religious, cannot be religious. Seriousness is of the ego, part of the very disease. Lau..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9c/rajneesh-54_celebration_laughter-is-the-very-essence-of-religion_1655853.jpg" --- # LAUGHTER is the very essence of religion. Seriousness is… ![“LAUGHTER is the very essence of religion. Seriousness is never religious, cannot be religious. Seriousness is of the ego, part of the very disease. Laughter is egolessness. Yes, there is a difference between when you laugh and when a religious man laughs. The difference is that you laugh always…” quote by Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9c/rajneesh-54_celebration_laughter-is-the-very-essence-of-religion_1655853.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9c/rajneesh-54_celebration_laughter-is-the-very-essence-of-religion_1655853.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9c/rajneesh-54_celebration_laughter-is-the-very-essence-of-religion_1655853.jpg) > “LAUGHTER is the very essence of religion. Seriousness is never religious, cannot be religious. Seriousness is of the ego, part of the very disease. Laughter is egolessness. Yes, there is a difference between when you laugh and when a religious man laughs. The difference is that you laugh always about others - the religious man laughs at himself, or at the whole ridiculousness of man's being. Religion cannot be anything other than a celebration of life.” [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Laughter dissolves ego and connects us to a deeper, celebratory sense of life, unlike seriousness which reinforces self‑importance. **In simple terms:** Laughter frees ego, seriousness binds it. Key Takeaway Embrace laughter to transcend ego. Themes spirituality ego joy Mood joyful contemplative Type spiritual inspirational When to use this quote - meditation - group gatherings - daily humor practice Key Concepts mindfulness psychology Questions to Reflect On - What does laughter reveal about yourself? - Can laughter replace solemnity? A Different Perspective Excessive laughter may avoid confronting serious issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Celebration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/celebration/) [Celebration of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/celebration-of-life/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Difference Laugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difference-laugh-704937/) [Differences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differences/) [Disease](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disease/) [Ego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ego/) [Essence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/essence/) [Laugh Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laugh-religious-704939/) [Laughing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughing/) [Laughs Difference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughs-difference-704936/) [Laughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughter/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religion Seriousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion-seriousness-704938/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Religious Seriousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-seriousness-704940/) [Seriousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seriousness/) [Whole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole/) ## Related quotes > [Laughter is the very essence of religion. Seriousness is never religious, cannot be religious. Seriousness is of the ego, part of the very disease.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/laughter-is-the-very-essence-of-religion-seriousness-is-never/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [As a comedian, I think we all look for those areas where the truth diverts from what people are saying. That's why politics is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/as-a-comedian-i-think-we-all-look-for-those-areas-where-the-truth/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [I was raised in a religious home. It was unreasonable enforced religion that turned me off it. It was a joyless, unpleasant, stupid, barbaric…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/i-was-raised-in-a-religious-home-it-was-unreasonable-enforced/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [Sannyas is celebration of life, and sin is natural: natural in the sense that you are unconscious - what else can you do? In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/sannyas-is-celebration-of-life-and-sin-is-natural-natural-in-the/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [All people ever say is: THANK YOU (a celebration of life) and PLEASE (an opportunity to make life more wonderful).](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/all-people-ever-say-is-thank-you-a-celebration-of-life-and-please-an/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [Love doesn't limit itself to relationships: it is a celebration of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/love-doesn-t-limit-itself-to-relationships-it-is-a-celebration-of-life/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Wine lovers know that putting some effort into understanding and appreciating wine pays big dividends. Skillful tasting unlocks wine's treasures. It adds an extra…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-shanken/wine-lovers-know-that-putting-some-effort-into-understanding-and/) [Marvin Shanken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-shanken/) > [If you want to change the world, make something beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-peacock/if-you-want-to-change-the-world-make-something-beautiful/) [Charlie Peacock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-peacock/) > [Christmas has always been a celebration of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/christmas-has-always-been-a-celebration-of-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Good food is a celebration of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophia-loren/good-food-is-a-celebration-of-life/) [Sophia Loren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophia-loren/) > [“Today is your day to paint life in bold colors; set today’s rhythm with your heart-drum; walk today’s march with courage; create today as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-lockwood-huie/today-is-your-day-to-paint-life-in-bold-colors-set-today-s-rhythm/) [Jonathan Lockwood Huie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-lockwood-huie/) > [“What can I say? I'm taken; I love how enthralled she remains by this festival of living.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-z-danielewski/what-can-i-say-i-m-taken-i-love-how-enthralled-she-remains-by-this/) [Mark Z. Danielewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-z-danielewski/) > [My photographs are a celebration of life, fun and the beautiful. They are a world that doesn't exist. A fantasy. Freedom is real. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-mcginley/my-photographs-are-a-celebration-of-life-fun-and-the-beautiful-they/) [Ryan McGinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-mcginley/) > [“We are built to desire free will and to choose our own destiny. It's not about being right or wrong; it's about the celebration…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deiamor-verus/we-are-built-to-desire-free-will-and-to-choose-our-own-destiny-it-s/) [DeiAmor Verus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deiamor-verus/) > [Growing up, there were a lot of funerals that I attended, and the adults at the funerals went out of their way to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-fuller/growing-up-there-were-a-lot-of-funerals-that-i-attended-and-the/) [Bryan Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-fuller/) ## More by Rajneesh > [Because of the womb being a central phenomenon in the feminine body, the whole psychology of woman differs: she is non-aggressive, non-inquiring, non-questioning, non-doubting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/because-of-the-womb-being-a-central-phenomenon-in-the-feminine-body/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [It all depends on you. You can go on sleeping forever, you can wake up right this moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/it-all-depends-on-you-you-can-go-on-sleeping-forever-you-can-wake-up/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [The greatest mystery in life is not life itself, but death. Death is the culmination of life, the ultimate blossoming of life. In death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/the-greatest-mystery-in-life-is-not-life-itself-but-death-death-is/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [This mind is a prison. It cannot find any freedom anywhere. It must die before freedom comes to you. But we have taken the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/this-mind-is-a-prison-it-cannot-find-any-freedom-anywhere-it-must-die/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [Never belong to a crowd; Never belong to a nation; Never belong to a religion; Never belong to a race. Belong to the whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/never-belong-to-a-crowd-never-belong-to-a-nation-never-belong-to-a/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [Money should not be in the hands of individuals; otherwise it will create this problem of being burdened with guilt. And money can make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/money-should-not-be-in-the-hands-of-individuals-otherwise-it-will/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [Marriage is going to disappear, should disappear. And now the point is coming in the history of humanity where it becomes possible that marriage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/marriage-is-going-to-disappear-should-disappear-and-now-the-point-is/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [A mature mind is one who understands the impossibility of knowing the ultimate, and with this understanding there is a new dimension: the dimension…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/a-mature-mind-is-one-who-understands-the-impossibility-of-knowing-the/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [The word religion comes from an origin which means "coming together." But priesthood has been doing just the opposite, it has created splits in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/the-word-religion-comes-from-an-origin-which-means-coming-together/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [Love and laughter go together; and laughter is one of the greatest medicines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/love-and-laughter-go-together-and-laughter-is-one-of-the-greatest/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [There are people who want to become rich; they become rich. If you persist you can fulfill any kind of stupidity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/there-are-people-who-want-to-become-rich-they-become-rich-if-you/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [Just take one thing out and the whole palace, the whole edifice of the human mind collapses. Take effort out of it and desiring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/just-take-one-thing-out-and-the-whole-palace-the-whole-edifice-of-the/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [To me, man means awareness of death. I am not saying become afraid of death; that is not awareness. Just be aware of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/to-me-man-means-awareness-of-death-i-am-not-saying-become-afraid-of/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [So your life becomes a vital celebration, your relationship becomes a festive thing. Whatsoever you do, every moment is a festival. You eat, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/so-your-life-becomes-a-vital-celebration-your-relationship-becomes-a/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > ["Serenity" is the flavor of meditation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/serenity-is-the-flavor-of-meditation/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) [Explore all 1,885 Rajneesh quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) ## More Celebration quotes > [Spiritually, life is a festival, a celebration. Joy is of the essence of life;](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnivesh/spiritually-life-is-a-festival-a-celebration-joy-is-of-the-essence-of/) [Agnivesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnivesh/) > [The official independence celebration was going to be held over four or five days, and a group of journalists from all over the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryszard-kapuscinski/the-official-independence-celebration-was-going-to-be-held-over-four/) [Ryszard Kapuscinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryszard-kapuscinski/) > [Missouri has a rich history and diverse heritage that deserves a proper celebration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-parson/missouri-has-a-rich-history-and-diverse-heritage-that-deserves-a/) [Mike Parson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-parson/) > [Every day we have a special reason to make a good celebration! And that reason is our very existence!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/every-day-we-have-a-special-reason-to-make-a-good-celebration-and/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“At the water's edge, barrels of pitch blazed like huge bonfires. Their reflection, crimson as the rising moon, crept to meet us in long,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/at-the-water-s-edge-barrels-of-pitch-blazed-like-huge-bonfires-their/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [One of my earliest memories is being backstage at 'Bran Nue Dae' in Darwin when I was about eight. It's such a fun, happy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shari-sebbens/one-of-my-earliest-memories-is-being-backstage-at-bran-nue-dae-in/) [Shari Sebbens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shari-sebbens/) > [God does not ask your ability Or your inability. He asks only your availability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-kay-ash/god-does-not-ask-your-ability-or-your-inability-he-asks-only-your/) [Mary Kay Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-kay-ash/) > [My 'Idea of India' calls not just for tolerance, but a celebration of all points of view. Where the sensibilities of every individual are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/my-idea-of-india-calls-not-just-for-tolerance-but-a-celebration-of/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Growing up, there were a lot of funerals that I attended, and the adults at the funerals went out of their way to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-fuller/growing-up-there-were-a-lot-of-funerals-that-i-attended-and-the/) [Bryan Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-fuller/) > [So your life becomes a vital celebration, your relationship becomes a festive thing. Whatsoever you do, every moment is a festival. You eat, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/so-your-life-becomes-a-vital-celebration-your-relationship-becomes-a/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [What I love about the East End is that there's a great perseverance, determination and courage. What I dislike about it is that there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-marsan/what-i-love-about-the-east-end-is-that-there-s-a-great-perseverance/) [Eddie Marsan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-marsan/) > [“This was the image Angeline had of him at the time; always moving to the edges of some sort of celebration.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-coplin/this-was-the-image-angeline-had-of-him-at-the-time-always-moving-to/) [Amanda Coplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-coplin/) > [People of our time are losing the power of celebration. Instead of celebrating we seek to be amused or entertained. Celebration is an active…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-joshua-heschel/people-of-our-time-are-losing-the-power-of-celebration-instead-of/) [Abraham Joshua Heschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-joshua-heschel/) > [Thinking about writing as an act of celebration is sometimes a helpful framework for me. It allows me to prioritize what I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kay/thinking-about-writing-as-an-act-of-celebration-is-sometimes-a/) [Sarah Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kay/) > [Tolerance and celebration of individual differences is the fire that fuels lasting love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hannah/tolerance-and-celebration-of-individual-differences-is-the-fire-that/) [Tom Hannah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hannah/) [Browse all 963 Celebration quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/celebration/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "LAUGHTER is the very essence of religion. Seriousness is never religious, cannot be religious. Seriousness is of the ego, part of the very disease. Laughter is egolessness. Yes, there is a difference between when you laugh and when a religious man laughs. The difference is that you laugh always about others - the religious man laughs at himself, or at the whole ridiculousness of man's being. Religion cannot be anything other than a celebration of life.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Rajneesh" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/laughter-is-the-very-essence-of-religion-seriousness-is-never-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Celebration" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/laughter-is-the-very-essence-of-religion-seriousness-is-never-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9c/rajneesh-54_celebration_laughter-is-the-very-essence-of-religion_1655853.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9c/rajneesh-54_celebration_laughter-is-the-very-essence-of-religion_1655853.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9c/rajneesh-54_celebration_laughter-is-the-very-essence-of-religion_1655853.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“LAUGHTER is the very essence of religion. Seriousness is never religious, cannot be religious. Seriousness…” — Rajneesh", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Rajneesh", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "LAUGHTER is the very essence of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/laughter-is-the-very-essence-of-religion-seriousness-is-never-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/laughter-is-the-very-essence-of-religion-seriousness-is-never-2/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```