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03 Smiles and Wonderment
Why is Wonderment so important?
Why is Wonderment so important?
✨ In this episode, we explore how smiling and wonderment serve as essential guides and affirmations on our path toward freedom. Rather than waiting for joy to feel "real," we practice smiling as a foundational tool that relaxes the body, releases tension, and foreshadows the moment when true happiness—the union of peace and contentment—finally blooms within us. We learn that wonderment is the profound realization of the miracle of being alive, shifting our perspective of "life" from a static noun to the vibrant, active movement of breathing and sitting in the here and now. By letting go of rigid definitions and embracing the inquisitive nature of a child, we discover that every mindful breath and every gentle smile is a confirmation that we are finally, and fully, home.
✨ In this episode, we explore how smiling and wonderment serve as essential guides and affirmations on our path toward freedom. Rather than waiting for joy to feel "real," we practice smiling as a foundational tool that relaxes the body, releases tension, and foreshadows the moment when true happiness—the union of peace and contentment—finally blooms within us. We learn that wonderment is the profound realization of the miracle of being alive, shifting our perspective of "life" from a static noun to the vibrant, active movement of breathing and sitting in the here and now. By letting go of rigid definitions and embracing the inquisitive nature of a child, we discover that every mindful breath and every gentle smile is a confirmation that we are finally, and fully, home.
Transcript
Why is Wonderment so important?
Objective: To enjoy Thay's offered affirmation that comes from a smile and wonderment.
How Do We Get There?
Discourse on the Full Awareness of Breathing
Steps 1. and 2. In - Out
Steps 3. and 4. Whole Body - Calm
Steps 5 and 6. Discovering Joyful - BEing Happiness
Mindfulness, Concentration and Insight
Appreciating how Thay's invitation to Smile has been our touchstone.
Letting Go with Trust
Sangha Sharing
What joy, insights, wonderment, questions and moments would you like to share?
Dharma Talk
"Why should I smile when there is no joy in me? The answer to that is:"
"Smiling is a practice." Thay has introduced many reasons for including a smile in one's practice. It relaxes us. It spreads happiness to others. It reflects how we feel enjoying our breathing and body. Smiling, we release our tensions. It feels good to smile. However after many sits, one can see a smile's deeper purpose for us. It has been an intrinsic, foreshadowing guide on our path of letting go.
In the Calm-Ease meditation, Thay indirectly invites us to smile, a natural response to feeling enjoyment.
1:07:07
"And notice the movement of the abdomen. In....
Out.... Enjoy"
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"Breathing out, I notice that my out-breath has become slow. Deep...
Slow.... Enjoy."
Then, Thay directly invites us to smile
22:17:17
"Breathing in, I smile. Nothing is as important as my peace, my joy.
I smile to everything, even to my suffering, to my difficulties.
Breathing out, I release. I let go. This is a practice of freedom.
Smile when you breathe in. Release when you breathe out.
Smile... Release..."
Smiling as a Practice
We have been sitting, breathing, BEing and smiling. We have spent time just BEing with our in-breath and out-breath. We discovered how lovely and soothing our breathing can be. How enjoyable it can be to just sit and mindfully experience it. It has calmed us. Our breath is always there and is readily available when we need it. Even our anxious breath is there for us. We have learned how grounding being mindful of our breath can be. All the while smiling whether we felt happy or not.
Sometimes upon our first mindful breath of a sit, our smile has sprung forth to greet us. Other times, we have smiled only to relax our facial tensions. Then there have been times when we have smiled just because Thay invited us to. Sometimes we feel very peaceful and relaxed and a smile feels natural.
Then we mindfully explored our bodies. We have listened to many parts of our bodies: our shoulders, neck, our hand, our legs, feet and toes. We have become mindfully aware of tensions and have calmed them with our breathing. Our enjoyment of our breathing has spread into enjoying our body. Being mindful of our body is as pleasing as being mindful of our breathing. Smiling has become a part of our practice.
Present Moment | Wonderful Moment
The Calm-Ease meditation brings our awareness to the present moment and it is a wonderful moment. The peace is wonderful there. Contentment is also there. It's the experienced Aimlessness of the moment. We are so peaceful and content as there is nothing for me to do. There is nothing for me to become. I am more than enough. I am whole and complete. I don't want this meditation to end. One's smile is definitely a part of this moment.
Happiness Blooms
We have sat and experienced the wonderful moment many times. We experience the peacefulness and enjoy it. We notice the feeling of contentment and enjoy it too. After many sits, we enjoy these two individually and mutually together.
Then, insight illuminates our awareness. Peace and Contentment together are Happiness. This is what Happiness feels like. I thought I knew what happiness was but I was mistaken. Peace with Contentment is .... as you say this, Happiness starts to bloom within you. It grows and fills more and more of you. Lastly it wholly and completely fills your SMILE that has patiently and lovingly been awaiting this moment's realization.
Smiling has Foreshadowed Happiness
In a very beautiful way, Thay has given us a guide and has prepared us for the end of the meditation. Meditation is a conversation. Many times it is an exploratory discussion.
"What does it feel like if I share the gentleness of my breath with my leg?"
"Oh, that was nice. What if I did the same with my heart?"
Being naturally curious and inquisitive is a part of the self discovery that mindfulness illuminates.
Reflect back on your mindful curiosities. Notice how every time you chose to 'let go and mindfully listened' the letting go process resulted in a Smile. The Smile has been an affirmation that you are 'going in the right direction'. We have been constantly affirmed with each smile. The final affirmation came from the blooming happiness that filled our smile. .... Thank you, Thay. : )
Wonderment Foreshadows Too
Thay has also invited us to experience and look for Wonderment. To be amazed that we are alive and that we are immersed in life.
"The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green earth, dwelling deeply in the present moment and feeling truly alive." Thich Nhat Hahn
"Because you are alive, everything is possible." Thich Nhat Hahn
Wonderment, like our smile, guides and foreshadows an enlightening moment for us.
Collective observations and reflections
We share and listen.
Let's BE the Life We Are
As best you are able, let go of your ideas and definitions of life as a noun. Let the definitions transition into the movement of living. Let 'life' be the actions of living, the parts of life that are in the moment. So if you're breathing, then life is the breathing. If you're speaking, the life is the speaking. If you're walking, let life be the walking. It's what is happening in the here and now.
Don't forget, mediation is meant to be experienced. You are life and life is experiencing this meditation.
Enjoy.
Bells at 2 mins, 12 mins
Breathing in, I relax with my in-breath | Breathing out, I smile.
Relax | Smile
Breathing in, I enjoy my breath | Breathing out, I feel the solidity of my backbone.
Enjoy | Solidity
I am the breathing | I am the sitting
There is only the breathing | There is only the sitting
There is peace in the breathing | There is Happiness in the sitting
Life is the breathing | Life is the sitting
Collective observations and reflections
We share and listen.
Referenced Video
Referenced Video
https://youtu.be/WP7NgI-UR8I?si=wuw4ojxK7dnD0ksr
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contemplating, enjoying the wonders of life. If you are so busy, if you are so caught up with your
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business, your worries, you don't have the time to leave and to get in touch with the wonders of life
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Yesterday I wrote a new calligraphy in French I wrote
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"Une journée sans ordinateur, quel bonheur" "A day without a computer...
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... how lucky I am, how happy I am" When you spend 2 hours with your computer
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you forget entirely that you have a body that you are a wonder
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You are caught in your work You do not have the awareness that you are a wonder that everything else around you are wonders
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So taking a walk, doing work invitation is to go back
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and touch the wonders of life in ourselves and around us
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In order to encounter the wonders of life you have to go home to yourself
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And your first home is your body Very often your body is there but your mind is not there
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The mind is caught in your worries your anxiety, your fear, your anger
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your projects Your mind is running to the future
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Or your mind is caught in the past So the practice of mindful walking, mindful
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breathing, is to bring your mind home to your body Your body is the first home
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as you breathe in you focus your attention on your in-breath and
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in no time at all you go home to your body
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you don't do anything much, you just focus your attention on your in-breath. Breathing in I know I am breathing in
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Breathing in, I enjoy breathing in and your mind focus entirely on your breath, your in-breath
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It takes two or three seconds to breathe in and during the time you go home to your body
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Going home you need only one, two, three seconds
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And when body and mind are together you are home
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you are established in the here and the now home is here and now
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And only in the here and the now that you can touch the wonders of life
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