Smiling

Recently, during Fa Zheng Nian, when I did the lotus palm gesture, a smile would come to my mouth and I would be in a state of peace, serenity and benevolence. It was not a forced smile born of intention or a human heart of qing (sentimentality) or a mental thought. The smile just came.

At first I thought that the smile was associated with that particular hand gesture. Shortly afterwards, the smile would begin when I put my hand vertically in front of my chest. It then began when I recited the “clearing up” phrase. Now the smile has spread to other times such as even when I am walking down the street. I find that when my mind is calm and clear and with no other thoughts, the smile comes bringing with it a sense of compassion.