TEStazyk

It’s not quite up there with Susan Boyle and 3 year old concert pianists, but there is an item on YouTube that is generating a lot of interest.  It is called “Bodhisattva in Metro” and on YouTube alone it has had 1.5 million hits and generated hundreds of comments. 

One of the reasons the video is getting a lot of attention is because it makes people laugh and feel good.  But I think there is a lot more than that to it.  It is one of the most entertaining and most thought provoking things I’ve seen in a while (at least on YouTube). 

By the way, “Bodhisattva,” is not just a song by Steely Dan, it is also a term in Buddhism which refers to a person who is seeking enlightenment and tries to help others achieve enlightenment.  Of course that’s a gross oversimplification, but what’s important is that the term is applied to the video in question because it shows a person who definitely brightens other peoples’ day.  Whether they all move toward enlightenment is another question altogether.

Here is a quick summary of the six minute video.  A bunch of people are riding on a commuter train.  It’s dark and they are all wrapped up in their own worlds.  We get some good shots of body language showing that they are not very happy or very interested in their fellow passengers.  Then this guy gets on and he’s all smiles.  No one pays him much attention but then he starts giggling and laughing.  The other passengers on the train can’t resist and in no time, everyone is laughing hysterically.  You will too if you watch it.

Almost all of the internet commentary on the video focuses on the fact that you can’t help but laugh when you watch it and that it will brighten anyone’s day.  Of course a few people (and you can’t totally fault them) point out that if someone got on the train and started laughing like a hyena they would call the cops and get off at the next stop.  Other people say that it could never happen in their country or on the train they ride.  One interesting comment talks about a psychological concept of “infectivity of emotions,” which probably can explain the economy, housing market and laughter on subways! 

But the widespread perception is that this guy is going around making people laugh and brightening their days.  That’s great and I wish there were more people like that. 

It’s important to remember that this video is a real film, professionally filmed and edited.  It’s not like some guy recorded it on his cell phone.  So it’s not a real look at a spontaneous event.  But don’t get me wrong.  I laughed myself silly when I saw it and sent the link to a bunch of friends. A nice by product of the video is that you get a good laugh and release some endorphins.  But there is a lot more to it and it’s worth thinking about.

Most people seem to focus on the laughter, but a few have pointed out that near the end of the video, a guy who looks like he hasn’t laughed since before puberty boards the train.  When he first gets on, the laughing temporarily stops.  A few people are trying to suppress laughter and it almost looks like they are crying.  Finally the dam breaks and everyone starts laughing hysterically as the guy takes his seat.  Of course he’s totally clueless.  He very obviously seats himself apart from the group.  He looks uncomfortable and I felt sorry for him because he totally didn’t get the joke and he must have been wondering if they were laughing at him.  He gets off the train at the next stop.  A few people commenting on the video have said that scene alone destroyed the humour in the video for them.

When the new guy gets off the train, the guy who started the laughter also gets off.  He gets onto another train and starts laughing for those people.  That is what drives a lot of people to think that he is going around spreading joy and the people on the second train, who we never see, probably got a good laugh as well.

But what is particularly interesting is what happens on the first train where everyone has been laughing.  When the laughing man gets off, the laughter dies down very quickly.  One lady looks around as if lost and wondering what she is supposed to do now.  All of this makes us wonder what exactly has been going on and what is painfully clear is that the magic is over.

To me, the whole thing is a lesson in how we interact with each other.  One of the things that is so heart warming about the video is the true sense of sharing and community that you feel as you laugh along with the very diverse crowd of strangers.  The laughing man had created a temporary community with its own rules and method of communication. 

When the new guy boards the train full of laughing people, he is an outsider.  He doesn’t know the rules or the techniques of communication with the group.  He is not brought into the group (in fact he is treated like an outcast) and quickly leaves. 

Of course you have to wonder how he could have been brought into the group.  I can’t see myself (or anyone) leaning over and telling him, “Join in.  We’re not laughing at you.  That guy started it and we can’t stop.”  It would just destroy the moment.  And I doubt if the new guy could really join it.  It’s truly one of those you just had to be there moments.

Not only that, you get the feeling that the sense of community did not continue after the laughing man left.  Some people seem to be looking out the window at the laughing man, missing him.  The body language of most of them seems to indicate that they are going back to the way they were before they started laughing—insular and joyless.  I found myself wondering what would happen the next day if some of these people saw each other again.  Would they smile, remembering the moment?  Would they try to strike up a conversation?  No one seems to want to at the end of the video.  It makes you wonder whether you need an ongoing motivator or catalyst to sustain the feeling of a community.

And that seems to be another lesson of the video.  It shows the fragility of human interaction–that timing is important and that you don’t always choose your community, sometimes it chooses you.  And because of that, it shows how important it is to be mindful of when these special moments present themselves.

Importantly, the video shows the importance of living in the moment and enjoying what every minute brings.  The reason the video is so nice is because you can’t imagine anyone not joining in.  Everyone has put down their book, stopped sizing up the other passengers and let go of their thoughts and worries in order to share a special moment with strangers.  No one is focusing on the deadline at work, worries at home or anything else.   

They are being alive and enjoying the moment, and if someone gives you a moment like that, they are truly a bodhisattva.

Maybe the most important lesson of the video is that we should realize that each day is made up little moments.  We can all make the world a better place by bringing a few moments of joy to ourselves and others.

You can have a look at the video here: