On Buddhism, and the value of smiling

Let's start with the value of smiling :) I realize I am certainly not the first to write about this subject (those women familar with Eat, Pray, Love may remember the Smiling Meditation Elizabeth Gilbert talks about- and this blog is already eeriely similar to her writings WITHOUT me bringing her up)- but there's truth in the value of a smile. I can't quite put my finger on what it is about the service placement here that produces the feeling it does (half euphoria, and half pure exhaustion!) but for today, I'm settling on the fact that it's pretty easy to be effortlessly happy when you're walking around smiling- and forty Thai children are smiling back at you, for no good reason at all. Add in the service factor, the perfect weather we've had here during their "cold" season (85 and just often enough, a light breeze), or those iced coffees our teacher keeps treating us to- and I'm in heaven. But sincerely- it all starts with the smiling.

If we all went to work and just smiled our way through the day, I know immediately there would be a noticeable difference in workplaces throughout the US.

During our Orientation, Pimsuda (the Country Director for CCS here in Thailand, and an incredible woman in her own right) explained to us the breakdown of "Rules" in Thai society. It goes as such:

1. Fun
2. Food
3. Work

Now there is certainly a dogma I can ascribe to :)

The other topic worth mentioning in this blog is the roundtable talk we were lucky enough to have with Dr. Anil last Thursday. Dr. Anil has been a monk since the age of 14, and is highly respected within the community- he originally served as the secretary to the senior monk at his temple, before attending university and studying abroad in London (Cambridge) to get his PhD. He now lives in the royal temple here- a requirement for all Kings of Thailand is that they serve as a monk at some point in their life, and the temple/university at Mahamakut is where they all come.

Dr. Anil, besides being (of course) a brilliant, centered, calm and gentle soul that you would want to talk to all night (he offered, actually)- is coincidentally also a direct descendant of Siddhartha Gautama, or, Buddha himself. Which he casually dropped into conversation just as a very typical Buddhist would- extremely modestly and without any sort of pomp. Which is a beautiful example for all of us.

What he shared in two hours would take just that amount of time to share with you, but here, in no particular order, are some highlights of the lessons he expressed to us in this beautiful, organic and incredible conversation we were lucky enough to have with him:

*When you see a piece of paper, what do you really see? A piece of paper? Look closer for its reality. The rain had to exist first- to support the forest- that contained the tree- that made the wood- that gave us the paper. THAT is its reality. Life is always SO much bigger than we see at first glance.

*(A little nod to Flaherty)- The nature of the mind is like water. Try not to disturb it for a few minutes or hours- and it will become clear. This is called Insightful Meditation.

*Remember that breath is the cornerstone to all life- that's why it's so productive to meditate focusing only on it. If we do not breathe out, we lose our life. THAT's how precious and fragile our life it.

*Seek the happiness inside of us. We are our own creators. Nothing and noone is responsible for our happiness. We must seek within and care for our minds as we do our bodies. Don't eat terribly and then go to the gym to work it off- eat well and keep the cycle easier; healthier. And do the same with your mind. We must always be seeking to learn and in turn, to educate- and to share the lessons our heads learn with our heart. Communication between those two (head and heart) can be difficult, but is of the most paramount importance.

If I could have any wish for the people I love most in this world, it would be that so many of you would have had this experience to sit arm's length from this man and learn from him the same things I did. It was absolutely one of the most sublime moments of my life- words cannot do it justice. But I imagine that's just the thing about Dr. Anil, and of Buddhism itself. We must realize we cannot hold anything in our hands any more than we can hold water there. This is something I've been working on the past few months- the realization that I have nothing, I own nothing. Even down to the people in my life- I don't HAVE a mother, I don't HAVE a best friend. I am lucky to experience relationships with those people in my life- that's all.

And even more than that- we must share the knowledge we DO have- educate others- as that is the only true way that we can take what we have and make more of it.

Yours (well, not really YOURS, on the heels of THAT conversation- but you know what I mean),
Di