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The Buddha used humor when he offered his teachings. One example revolves around a debate he had with Vedic Braham priests who taught this about the importance of bathing in the Ganges river:
“No matter what evil deeds you have done, bathing in the holy Ganga River will wash away your sins and you will go to heaven upon your death. But if you do not bathe in the Ganga River, no matter how good you have been throughout your life, you will not be accepted into heaven.”
One day, a person who had heard of this belief went to the Buddha and asked if the Brahmans were telling the truth. The Buddha answered with a smile on his face: “If what they say is true, the fish in the river will be the first ones to go to heaven.”
Clearly, the Buddha did not support simplistic, superstitious approaches to life and to personal responsibility for our actions.
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