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I have started doing things consciously, i don't want to laugh anymore, i just want to maintain that inner peace felt in doing things meditatively. But people have started asking that "i am looking sad". Should i smile or should i go with the flow, i want to follow Lord Buddha.
One more thing i want to know the Essence of Lord Buddha with in few lines, i theoretically know only about focusing on breathing and vipassana meditation(which i am going to attend soon)
It is difficult to be around non-meditative people when you are meditative. Dhammapada 302 states:
Suffering/difficulty comes from association with unequals.
When they say: "You are looking sad", this is a reflection of their own lack of knowledge, their own sadness & their own underlying fear. This has happened to me a few times before, when I used to work in an office.
The Buddha taught that a person accomplished in meditation can in a 'finger-snap' generate metta (loving-kindness).
Monks, if for just the time of a finger-snap a monk produces a thought of loving kindness, develops it, gives attention to it, such a one is rightly called a monk. Not in vain does he meditate. He acts in accordance with the Master’s teaching.
Yes, you probably should smile, say you are fine & offer an easy explanation, such as you are training yourself to work/do things with calmness & without stress.
As for the essence of the Lord Buddha, this was explained in MN 37 as:
Nothing is worth clinging to...
I think you have some ideas collapsed.
I don't want to laugh anymore
If this is actually a goal, I'd like to suggest that you may have wandered off from your true intention.
Mindfulness during daily activity can produce a sense of peace and satisfaction, but if it is so self-contained that it forbids laughter, it becomes restrictive, and won't produce anything lasting.
While concentration is important, mindfulness includes the entirety of your environment, not just the task at hand. That means mindfulness includes attentiveness to others; to the dog across the street wagging his tail in such a way that you can't help but laugh; to the non-restrictive space that grants being to all that exists.
A couple quotes:
If you wish to understand yourself, you must succeed in doing so in the midst of all kinds of confusions and upsets. Don’t make the mistake of sitting dead in the cold ashes of a withered tree. - Enyo
and
[Mindfulness] is doing each thing you do as if it is your one and only chance for self-expression, joy, freedom, and peace of mind. - Werner Erhard
Don't get attached to the peace of mind part. Mindfulness that is overly self-conscious will leave you attached to being 'good at concentrating' or something. Open yourself to your task and the environment within which the task exists - let the outward expression of joy you find in your practice be a gift to those who are near.
I have started doing things consciously, i don't want to laugh anymore, i just want to maintain that inner peace felt in doing things meditatively. But people have started asking that "i am looking sad". Should i smile or should i go with the flow, i want to follow Lord Buddha.
This is a similar experience i've encountered.When I do things meditatively i usually look like i'm in a trance like state.My eyes are down cast.I don't talk a lot.I keep to myself.I have also observed, i also look quite expressionless.This can sometimes be misconstrued as sad.But i feel enormousness peace.I'm just not animated.
In our society today, everyone has to be constantly talking,reacting,bubbly,hyped,on their phones,smiling,being a running commentary on daily events..Two people have expressed concern about me because i don't seem as interested in many things,since they equate happiness with "doing" things.Travelling,partying,listening to music,adventure,talking about anything under the sun etc.(Accumulating more experiences).
After experiencing peace from meditation my idea of happiness is more of peace and stillness.Instead of smiling,looking happy and experiencing more experiences.
I think being conscious and mindful must make you look sad. Quite the contrary. If you look sad, you might just have attached to much to what you're doing, feeling tense and tightened up. This may become obvious if you feel the tension in your forehead and tell yourself to relax.
There's a strong coupling between the expressions of the body and the feelings. If you are experiencing joy in any form, it's almost impossible to look sad.
As in meditation, when that little sparkle of bliss comes up, there's no reason not to look happy.
Allow yourself to enjoy the work you're doing, smiling and laughing isn't a bad thing. Maybe you find reasons for happiness within the work, as you are content with well it all fits together. There's no obligation to freak out about some superficial video on the internet - there are so many real nice things your mindfulness can observe.
Buddhism deals with the mind. "Are you sad?" Or "are you sad not?" These are distractions. Distractions keeps one from progressing - one hears others louder than the practice.
I don't want to laugh anymore
Why? What happened? Why can't you laugh in a situation meditatively?
I myself was like this. Not talking. Being silent. Not involved in/Aloof from the situation.
I think you are misunderstanding the meditative nature a little bit. When you are playing a game, why won't you be joyful or laugh? Or be disappointed if you lose. And still feel that everything is okay.
See, Lord Buddha said, as quoted, I am awake. Which means he would laugh when the situation is so, shed tears when the situation is so, advise people when situation is so.
It seems like you are getting stuck and taking life too seriously. See you can be serious when required and joyful when required. What is the problem?
