Peony Blossom
‘When I was a student, my first meditation teacher gave me some practical advice. He began by asking me the first thing I did after getting up in the morning.
“I go to the bathroom,” I said.
“Good,” he said. “Now, every morning, I want you to look in that mirror and smile at yourself.”
“Sir!” I began to protest. “I am a student. Sometimes I go to bed very late, and get up in the morning not feeling my best. Some mornings, I would be frightened to look at myself in a mirror, let alone smile!”
He chuckled, looked me in the eye and said, “If you cannot manage a natural smile, then take your two index fingers, place one on each corner of your mouth, and push up. Like this.” And he showed me.
He looked ridiculous. I giggled.
The very next morning, I dragged myself out of bed and staggered to the bathroom. I looked at myself in the mirror. “Urrgh!” It was not a pretty sight. A natural smile was a nonstarter. So I took my two index fingers, placed one on each corner of my mouth, and pushed up. I then saw this stupid young guy making a silly face in the mirror, and I couldn’t help grinning. The man in the mirror smiled even more. In a few seconds we ended up laughing together.
I continued that practice every morning for two years. Every morning, no matter how I felt when I got out of bed, I was soon laughing at myself in the mirror, usually with the help of two fingers. People say I smile a lot these days.
– Ajahn Brahm “Who ordered this truckload of dung?”