Buddha was smiling under his tree. Having reached awakening, ultimate and universal compassion, he can do nothing but smile. The buddhahood state is a bliss.
The Buddha’s delicate smile stands for Buddhism’s real revolution. Smiling in the middle of storms and troubles represents the great and subtle transformation of going from a suffering state to a state of achieved happiness.
In our meditations and in our daily lives, let us cultivate the art of smiling with tenderness. An endless love makes the Buddha’s smile grow. Even though our smile isn’t rooted in a selfless kindness, at least it can make us feel better in our heart. And in order to give it credit, let us offer our smile to others so that they fell better in their own hearts too. Because who is the Buddha smiling at? At everyone, at the others? It is quite possible.
So let us train to smile for the others. Let us discover this blooming of the lips and the heart in our practice. In Japan, having a pretty face is fundamental because our face doesn’t belong to us. Because only the others can see our face, they are the only ones who can be delighted of our smile. For a happier society, let us be happy in our heart and let’s leave this inner peace and happiness express itself on our faces. Let’s leave our face bloom, following the path of the Buddha’s face.
More than a precious vision, would wisdom’s perfection be the origin of a subtle smile?
May our smile become a new mindfulness practice.
Alain Delaporte-Digard
Translation by Brice Andlauer
