Aloha,
I'm Reverend Cindy Paulus and today I'm going to do a talk in meditation about smiles and smiling.
You know this has been one of the harder years for many,
Many people.
The world has faced many challenges,
But one thing that's always important to remember is the power of the gift of a smile.
Smile though your heart is breaking,
Right?
It's so important and you know what?
A smile is a wonderful gift that I first learned in meditation when Thich Nhat Hanh was talking at the Zen center,
At Sonoma Mountain Zen Center.
And we were all meditating in the dojo there and the Zen do.
And it was a lovely room all made of wood and we were sitting in the quiet and meditating and he said,
Smile.
And I remember the feeling of having a smile when I was meditating and it really changed the way my inner light,
My inner feeling,
The way my soul felt.
Now there's a lot of physical evidence that every time you smile,
You benefit your health and your happiness.
It's not just a matter of lifting your mood,
But it also can lift the mood of others around you.
It's giving a boost of happiness to those you see.
And sometimes you can just smile at a person and they will smile back and it will lighten literally lighten them up.
If you smile at others,
You're bringing positive things to your life,
But to those around you as well.
But it works when you're in your daily life and it works while you're in meditation as well.
If you're feeling nervous or stressed out and you need to lighten and brighten your mood,
Find something that will make you smile.
Just put a smile on your face.
Think of something that's beautiful and positive and you'll find that you will indeed have your whole mood changed.
It reduces your blood pressure.
Did you know that?
It increases your endurance.
It reduces pain.
It reduces stress.
It also has been found that people who smile are more likable,
Courteous,
And competent.
And did you know that it also makes you more productive at work and people who smile make more money?
So some of the benefits of smiling go very deep.
And I wrote a poem about smiling this morning.
I didn't know it.
I usually don't know what I'm going to write before I write.
I was going to write about peace.
And then this came to me and then I realized that when you're smiling,
You are often in a state of peace.
Here's the poem I wrote.
The presence of that inner smile recognized through all life.
The long journey we're on that makes it all worthwhile.
That Buddha smile that holds the knowing of the enlightenment within.
How Jesus had that smile of love that calls you home to him.
There's such magic held in a smile.
Da Vinci surely knew the Mona Lisa captured the magic that the masters held is true.
Take a moment to smile and see how you feel and how it carries such a wonderful energy.
What spirit do you bring that is so much more than words reflecting that inner smile and presence in which God's spirits in light is formed?
The Dalai Lama said a simple smile.
That's the start of opening your heart and being compassionate to others.
Sri Chinmoy said smile,
Smile,
Smile at your mind as often as possible.
Your smiling will considerably reduce your mind's tearing tension.
And Thich Nhat Hanh said because of your smile you make life more beautiful.
So let's do some inner smiling and outer smiling.
Just take a few breaths as we go into meditation.
Breathe in that smile of peace.
Breathe it in and see this wonderful brilliant light.
The light of smile surrounding all of your body.
Beautiful white light surrounds you with a golden energy of the smile of a golden Buddha.
See a golden Buddha smiling at you right now.
Imagine that there's this golden Buddha,
This large brilliant beautiful golden Buddha smiling down on you.
And breathe in that beautiful loving energy of that enlightened smile.
Breathe it in and smile back at this wonderful energy coming to you.
The enlightened smile.
Breathe it deeply in and feel it surrounding you and let it completely go into your heart of hearts where that love behind the smile is.
Feel the smile of love.
Feel that smile in your heart that knows your inner place,
Your inner heart of hearts.
In your inner heart sense that smile there and now just put a smile on your face and be in that presence of a smile as you meditate now.
Just go deep within to that sacred place of the wakenment inside your enlightened mind and your soul and just realize that moment when you realize you are a living enlightened being.
You already have what you're looking for right now in this wonderful moment.
Allow yourself to just recognize that perfection that you are.
It's always there.
There is only this perfect moment of now and you choose right now to feel that enlightenment that you have already and always known.
Choose to be that Buddha smile.
Choose to feel how it is when you let go of the stress and the worry and the cares and just stop pretending you're anything but the light and love present in this very moment right now.
You are love.
Breathe in the smile that goes beyond all time and space.
Feel that energy that comes to you when the masters smile at you.
Imagine Christ in front of you smiling with the love that knows your very heart and soul.
Just feel the smile of that knowing as you're reached by that wonderful light and that wonderful unconditional love that gets you past anything and everything in all time and space.
That smile that's there that welcomes you home.
Breathe it in.
Let it completely surround you with this wonderful light of transforming love and feel that energy restoring you and redeeming you and re-energizing you like sunlight coming through a cloudy day.
Feel that light that comes from the sun coming down in a million beautiful rays completely shining upon your soul right now.
Breathe it in.
Be it.
You are that light.
Feel it.
You are that love.
You are that smile as God smiles into your soul right now.
Allow yourself to be that smile that you feel.
Feel how good it feels to just be loved.
And smile at yourself right now.
Hold that energy and send that energy out to someone you care about right now.
Smile at them and their soul.
Smile at the world right now.
See the world feeling the power of that light and love of a smile.
And allow that smile to come back to you a hundred fold completely allowing you to be loved for who you are.
You are a smile of light and love.
I love you and I appreciate you being here smiling.
Slowly come out of meditation right now and feel how good it feels to just smile.
I thank you so much for listening.
I thank you so much for smiling.
God bless you and be with you always.
