Heart-Smile Training consists of a main meditation practice and four auxiliary
meditation practices. The main meditation practice gives us an authentic
experience of Samatha meditation, a characteristic of the Heart-Smile Training.
The four auxiliary meditation practices help us to familiarize ourselves with
mindfulness or relax our body and mind so we can do the main meditation
practice more effectively.
meditation practices. The main meditation practice gives us an authentic
experience of Samatha meditation, a characteristic of the Heart-Smile Training.
The four auxiliary meditation practices help us to familiarize ourselves with
mindfulness or relax our body and mind so we can do the main meditation
practice more effectively.
Main Heart-Smile Training
As the core practice of Heart-Smile Training, the main meditation practice gives us
a fuller experience of wholeness in the here and the now by filling the body and mind
with a feeling of warmth produced from a gentle and warm smile.
It is the practice of smiling with the corners of our mouths curled up, thereby filling our
body with feelings of warmth and kindness. It is important that the smile be genuine
and aroused from the natural state of life, not an artificial smile where one simply raises
the corners of the mouth.
To be able to do this, imagine smiling brightly with the eyes and mouth forming a round
shape like the sun. First, we feel the abundance of gentleness and clarity starting with our
forehead; then feel that warmth and kindness permeate deep into our eyes, cheeks, lips, chin,
and neck.
In particular, we focus on the center of the chest and concentrate on the feelings of warmth
and kindness for a set time. These feelings of warmth and kindness, roused from a loving smile act,
as priming water in a pump; they activate our inherent loving-kindness so it may be boundlessly revealed.
This overflowing feeling of love and kindness is first transmitted to those we care about, and then,
as we expand our consciousness, to those we feel neutral toward. Lastly, we transmit this feeling to
those we feel uncomfortable with or even hate. Then we recognize our current mental state with
mindfulness. We repeat this process until we can share our kindness and gentleness with all beings equally.
a fuller experience of wholeness in the here and the now by filling the body and mind
with a feeling of warmth produced from a gentle and warm smile.
It is the practice of smiling with the corners of our mouths curled up, thereby filling our
body with feelings of warmth and kindness. It is important that the smile be genuine
and aroused from the natural state of life, not an artificial smile where one simply raises
the corners of the mouth.
To be able to do this, imagine smiling brightly with the eyes and mouth forming a round
shape like the sun. First, we feel the abundance of gentleness and clarity starting with our
forehead; then feel that warmth and kindness permeate deep into our eyes, cheeks, lips, chin,
and neck.
In particular, we focus on the center of the chest and concentrate on the feelings of warmth
and kindness for a set time. These feelings of warmth and kindness, roused from a loving smile act,
as priming water in a pump; they activate our inherent loving-kindness so it may be boundlessly revealed.
This overflowing feeling of love and kindness is first transmitted to those we care about, and then,
as we expand our consciousness, to those we feel neutral toward. Lastly, we transmit this feeling to
those we feel uncomfortable with or even hate. Then we recognize our current mental state with
mindfulness. We repeat this process until we can share our kindness and gentleness with all beings equally.