Smile from the heart.
Yesterday, I discussed how you would smile, once you found that which you are looking for.
In qigong, there is an ancient practice, smile from the heart. For many centuries, it was a secret practice, but it is no longer.
This ancient technique of the Shaolin monks, is a wonderful technique, that will open up your energy. Not just from your chest area, but across your whole body.
Practitioners will tell you that smiling from the heart changes everything.
There is no intellectual explanation. No way to transmit in words. All the best things in life are beyond transmission in words.
This wordless transmission is just like the Buddha's flower sermon, the original transmission of zen:
In roughly 500BC, the Buddha gave what would later be called the “Flower Sermon”. Hundreds of disciples sat in front of him, ready for another of the Buddha’s powerful sermons. But this time, he didn’t say a word. Instead, he held up a beautiful flower and smiled.
Of all the disciples there that day, only one, Mahakasyapa, grasped the sermon. The rest were puzzled and confused. But Mahakasyapa smiled.
Seeing his reaction, the Buddha said: “I possess the true Cosmic eye, the marvelous mind of stillness, the true form of the formless, the subtle technique that does not rest on words or letters but is a special transmission outside of the scriptures. This I entrust to Mahakasyapa.”
You have to feel your way with this one.
Don't worry how to do it, just do it.
Feel bliss and joy radiating, blooming out from your heart.
You might not smile on the outside. That doesn't matter. It's not a surface thing. Smiling from the heart runs deep.
Just like the Buddha’s teaching, smiling from the heart transmits, radiating from heart to heart. So you’re not just doing it for your own benefit, but for the benefit of others.
If you don’t get it at first, don’t give up, just keep at it. All the time, as much of it as you remember to do it. Every day. Keep going.
Over time, the benefits of this beautiful practice will make themselves known to you:
01. Gives you an instant shot of happiness, whatever is happening in your life.
02. Inspires you to follow through on resolutions and goals.
03. The secret to success in Qigong, Tai Chi, Meditation, and Yoga.
04. Boosts oxytocin levels, lowers blood pressure.
05. Activates the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS).
06. Everything is better when you smile from the heart.
07. Develops more inner peace.
08. Creates more focus.
09. Creates healthier relationships.
10. Powerful stress-buster.
11. Helps you get in the “zone”.
12. Makes you feel awesome!
Now there are a few things to smile about!
LIVING ZEN RETREAT / DAY 13 / SATURDAY 18 JANUARY 2014, 14:00.