If in Our Daily Life We Can Smile

If in our daily life we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will profit from it. This is the most basic kind of peace work.

Thich Nhat Hanh

Hạnh has spent most of his life learning about and spreading peace through Buddhism and this quote exemplifies that. I find joy in the quote because it involves not just me and my inner feelings but how I can positively affect those around me with my demeanor. It’s one thing to focus on myself and how I feel, that’s important, for sure. Since I’m part of a community, I also have the potential to spread happiness to others, even with a simple smile and kind words. It’s not hard to do; don’t be a jerk, is a good start. I just need to remember how I am can rub off on those I come in contact with and, as a side effect of building happiness within myself, I can pass that on to others. Sometimes, I need to remind myself of these things. Often, maybe.

About the author

Thích Nhất Hạnh (/ˈtɪk ˈnjʌt ˈhʌn/; Vietnamese: [tʰǐk̟ ɲə̌t hâjŋ̟ˀ]; born as Nguyễn Xuân Bảo on October 11, 1926) is a Vietnamese Thiền Buddhist monk, peace activist, and founder of the Plum Village Tradition, historically recognized as the main inspiration for engaged Buddhism. Nhất Hạnh’s approach has been to combine a variety of teachings of Early Buddhism, Mahayana Buddhist traditions of Yogācāra and Zen, and ideas from Western psychology to teach mindfulness of breathing and the four foundations of mindfulness, offering a modern light on meditation practice. His presentation of the Prajnaparamita in terms of “interbeing” has doctrinal antecedents in the Huayan school of thought, which “is often said to provide a philosophical foundation” for Zen.