Smiling in meditation

A forum for beginners and members of other Buddhist traditions to ask questions about Theravāda (The Way of the Elders). Responses require moderator approval before they are visible in order to double-check alignment to Theravāda orthodoxy.
salaatti
Posts: 20
Joined: Mon Sep 07, 2009 4:42 pm

Smiling in meditation

Post by salaatti »

Hey everyone :smile: Bhante Vimalaramsi says in his article "The Bare-Bones Instructions to
Mindfulness of Breathing", that we should be smiling gently in meditation. But is this common teaching in theravada meditation. For me, it just sometimes feels a little tedious to do so. Especially if I feel sad or very frustated, my fake smiling just seems a way to supress those feelings. I would be grateful if anyone knows what the Buddha said about this.

thanks!
User avatar
retrofuturist
Posts: 27848
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 9:52 pm
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Contact:

Re: Smiling in meditation

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings salaatti,

For what it's worth, I've read a lot of the Buddha's meditation instructions in the Sutta Pitaka and not once have found any instruction to smile gently in meditation. I don't even recall seeing it in any of the ancient commentaries.

Perhaps this is just a little addition to practice that Venerable Vimalaramsi found beneficial and wished to share with others for their consideration.

Metta,
Retro. :)
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
User avatar
Fede
Posts: 1182
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 10:33 pm
Location: The Heart of this "Green & Pleasant Land"...
Contact:

Re: Smiling in meditation

Post by Fede »

My Qi Gong "Master" in France, used to lead a standing meditation, which we found both relaxing, yet invigorating at the same time, and would suggest expressing an inward smile....
In martial arts, you focus attention on the hara (Japanese) or Dan Tien (Chinese) - the lower abdomen, which houses and nurtures Qi/Chi.
there, your bodily Chi is nourished and generated....
so he would invite us to focus on this area, and express inward serenity in the form of a visualised internal smile.....

Whilst I do not think the Buddha ever mentioned this, his face always seems to bear a serene hint of a content and 'knowing' smile.....

I don't know if this helps you.
it helped me.
"Samsara: The human condition's heartbreaking inability to sustain contentment." Elizabeth Gilbert, 'Eat, Pray, Love'.

Simplify: 17 into 1 WILL go: Mindfulness!

Quieta movere magna merces videbatur. (Sallust, c.86-c.35 BC)
Translation: Just to stir things up seemed a good reward in itself. ;)

I am sooooo happy - How on earth could I be otherwise?! :D


http://www.armchairadvice.co.uk/relationships/forum/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
User avatar
retrofuturist
Posts: 27848
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 9:52 pm
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Contact:

Re: Smiling in meditation

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings Fede,

That was nice, but it's probably best to make abundantly clear (given the forum that we're in) that what you said bears no relevance to the Theravada tradition.

As for the Buddha statues, it would be interesting to know if there was any scriptural basis upon which such rupas were designed.

:buddha1:

Metta,
Retro. :)
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
User avatar
Cittasanto
Posts: 6646
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 10:31 pm
Location: Ellan Vannin
Contact:

Re: Smiling in meditation

Post by Cittasanto »

salaatti wrote:Hey everyone :smile: Bhante Vimalaramsi says in his article "The Bare-Bones Instructions to
Mindfulness of Breathing", that we should be smiling gently in meditation. But is this common teaching in theravada meditation. For me, it just sometimes feels a little tedious to do so. Especially if I feel sad or very frustated, my fake smiling just seems a way to supress those feelings. I would be grateful if anyone knows what the Buddha said about this.

thanks!
his instruction to smile is a bare bones behavioural therapy, it is not found in any suttas I know of.
there is some scary research on the effects of falsly smiling from japan, and it is used in brain washing techneques
Blog, Suttas, Aj Chah, Facebook.

He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them.
But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion …
...
He must be able to hear them from persons who actually believe them … he must know them in their most plausible and persuasive form.
John Stuart Mill
User avatar
Cittasanto
Posts: 6646
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 10:31 pm
Location: Ellan Vannin
Contact:

Re: Smiling in meditation

Post by Cittasanto »

retrofuturist wrote:Greetings Fede,

That was nice, but it's probably best to make abundantly clear (given the forum that we're in) that what you said bears no relevance to the Theravada tradition.

As for the Buddha statues, it would be interesting to know if there was any scriptural basis upon which such rupas were designed.

:buddha1:

Metta,
Retro. :)
Hi Retro,
correct me if I am wrong but werent the original rupas greak?? plus the art work of the day and place may of played a role in how they look as geometry is a big part of modern artwork (in the traditional religious means) so may of came from that??

this is just a guess but I saw a program on indian art work which explained it all really well but that was allong time ago!
Blog, Suttas, Aj Chah, Facebook.

He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them.
But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion …
...
He must be able to hear them from persons who actually believe them … he must know them in their most plausible and persuasive form.
John Stuart Mill
User avatar
Fede
Posts: 1182
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 10:33 pm
Location: The Heart of this "Green & Pleasant Land"...
Contact:

Re: Smiling in meditation

Post by Fede »

retrofuturist wrote:Greetings Fede,

That was nice, but it's probably best to make abundantly clear (given the forum that we're in) that what you said bears no relevance to the Theravada tradition.

As for the Buddha statues, it would be interesting to know if there was any scriptural basis upon which such rupas were designed.

:buddha1:

Metta,
Retro. :)
Absolutely correct, and I am very happy and willing to make that clear.
I did mention the Martial arts aspect and the Chi/Qi factor... so i was assuming that would have been sufficient,.... however, I thank you for clarifying that, quite rightly....

I too, Manapa learnt that much statuary had its origins in Greek culture.... I read it in Wikipedia... which is notorious for its tenuous information.... there again, Stefan did pretty good there!
The Greeks were pretty good at statues.....
However, as everyone knows, we actually have no idea at all what the Buddha looked like. We can hypothesise, wonder, guess and illustrate entirely fantastically.... but as for an accurate depiction - that's out of the question.

I'd like to think he had the occasional twitch of the corner of his mouth, though.... ;)
"Samsara: The human condition's heartbreaking inability to sustain contentment." Elizabeth Gilbert, 'Eat, Pray, Love'.

Simplify: 17 into 1 WILL go: Mindfulness!

Quieta movere magna merces videbatur. (Sallust, c.86-c.35 BC)
Translation: Just to stir things up seemed a good reward in itself. ;)

I am sooooo happy - How on earth could I be otherwise?! :D


http://www.armchairadvice.co.uk/relationships/forum/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
User avatar
retrofuturist
Posts: 27848
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 9:52 pm
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Contact:

Re: Smiling in meditation

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings Fede,
Fede wrote:However, as everyone knows, we actually have no idea at all what the Buddha looked like. We can hypothesise, wonder, guess and illustrate entirely fantastically.... but as for an accurate depiction - that's out of the question.
This paragraph reminded me of this old topic...

32 Marks of a Great Man
http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=1270" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Metta,
Retro. :)
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
User avatar
Fede
Posts: 1182
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 10:33 pm
Location: The Heart of this "Green & Pleasant Land"...
Contact:

Re: Smiling in meditation

Post by Fede »

Oh well done, yes, thanks for bringing that one forward again! :clap:

:namaste:
"Samsara: The human condition's heartbreaking inability to sustain contentment." Elizabeth Gilbert, 'Eat, Pray, Love'.

Simplify: 17 into 1 WILL go: Mindfulness!

Quieta movere magna merces videbatur. (Sallust, c.86-c.35 BC)
Translation: Just to stir things up seemed a good reward in itself. ;)

I am sooooo happy - How on earth could I be otherwise?! :D


http://www.armchairadvice.co.uk/relationships/forum/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
User avatar
tiltbillings
Posts: 23046
Joined: Wed Dec 31, 2008 9:25 am

Re: Smiling in meditation

Post by tiltbillings »

I'd like to think he looked much like this, but then that is my Western bias.
Attachments
2368272110_37c00855f4[1].jpg
2368272110_37c00855f4[1].jpg (117.78 KiB) Viewed 4125 times
>> Do you see a man wise [enlightened/ariya] in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.<< -- Proverbs 26:12

This being is bound to samsara, kamma is his means for going beyond. -- SN I, 38.

“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” HPatDH p.723
User avatar
imagemarie
Posts: 420
Joined: Thu Feb 12, 2009 8:35 pm

Re: Smiling in meditation

Post by imagemarie »

Head%20of%20Buddha%20Thailand.jpg
Head%20of%20Buddha%20Thailand.jpg (20.76 KiB) Viewed 4117 times
I go for a more generous mouth.. :smile:
User avatar
Cittasanto
Posts: 6646
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 10:31 pm
Location: Ellan Vannin
Contact:

Re: Smiling in meditation

Post by Cittasanto »

Hi Fede,
Fede wrote: I too, Manapa learnt that much statuary had its origins in Greek culture.... I read it in Wikipedia... which is notorious for its tenuous information.... there again, Stefan did pretty good there!
The Greeks were pretty good at statues.....
However, as everyone knows, we actually have no idea at all what the Buddha looked like. We can hypothesise, wonder, guess and illustrate entirely fantastically.... but as for an accurate depiction - that's out of the question.

I'd like to think he had the occasional twitch of the corner of his mouth, though.... ;)
I don't know where I learnt it but it wasn't wiki! I think it may of been one of my friends who was doing a BA in Buddhist studdies?
Blog, Suttas, Aj Chah, Facebook.

He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them.
But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion …
...
He must be able to hear them from persons who actually believe them … he must know them in their most plausible and persuasive form.
John Stuart Mill
salaatti
Posts: 20
Joined: Mon Sep 07, 2009 4:42 pm

Re: Smiling in meditation

Post by salaatti »

Thank you very much guys :thanks:

He has also said:

"He (the Buddha) never mentioned nostril, or body in any way outside of relaxing. Most times when you have instructions on meditation, they tell you to put your attention on one particular place in your body. But the Buddha, if he thought that was important, he would have said it very specifically. If you put your attention on one particular place in your body, you have the tendency to really focus very hard at that one place. But the Buddha did say you understand when you breathe in long and when you breathe out long, or short. So it’s just knowing the breath, not focusing on the breath, but seeing the breath clearly."

Is this correct? He has said many times that Buddha never thaught nostrils or abdomen to be focused on.
User avatar
tiltbillings
Posts: 23046
Joined: Wed Dec 31, 2008 9:25 am

Re: Smiling in meditation

Post by tiltbillings »

salaatti wrote:Thank you very much guys :thanks:

He has also said. . .
Who is "he?"
>> Do you see a man wise [enlightened/ariya] in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.<< -- Proverbs 26:12

This being is bound to samsara, kamma is his means for going beyond. -- SN I, 38.

“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” HPatDH p.723
salaatti
Posts: 20
Joined: Mon Sep 07, 2009 4:42 pm

Re: Smiling in meditation

Post by salaatti »

Oh, "he" means Bhante Vimalaramsi :smile: I found his "manual" to meditation very helpful (generally speaking) so I'd like to know.
Post Reply