The Smile

A story is told to illustrate being in the present moment.

It is about the time when The Buddha was conducting discourses with his disciples.He was seated in a mangrove with about a thousand disciples. Ananda was among them. Buddha was talking about the ephemeral nature of the world and that the only way to derive joy while being alive was to be here now.He talked at length and at the end he wanted to see if they had got his message correctly.

In front of the Buddha, there was a flower vase with a bunch of fresh lilies placed in it. He lifted one lily out of it and held it up, so that all could see.

There was a hushed silence all round the assembly.Everybody was wondering what he meant by that gesture.

Ananda the monk smiled.He smiled when he saw the flower.

The Buddha was happy that Ananda had understood and experienced the truth of his message.He experienced it when he saw the flower in Buddha's hand.He saw only the flower.There was nothing else in his mind at that moment.He could experience the flower's beauty with his whole being.