One quality that is important to develop spiritually is to be loving and kind to all. This is often symbolized by one physical gesture that each of us can learn to make. We can bring joy into our environment just by smiling. A smile on our face can brighten the lives of all we meet. When we face life’s challenges, it is hard to smile. When we have problems at work and the boss is making difficult demands on us it may be hard to smile. When we are criticized for our mistakes, we tend to frown. It is hard for parents to smile when they are taking care of the child’s every need at the expense of their own or dealing with a child’s tantrums. But if we can learn to smile in the face of the challenges of parenting, we will be providing a model for that child to also grow up and smile in the face of life’s difficulties. This will bring one more smiling person into the world. When we smile, our immune system is stronger, and we are better able to resist diseases when in good health. Smiling is a wonderful way to dispel a tense situation. It helps relieve the pressure of life and puts us in a relaxed state. Going jolly and laughing has a component to our mental health. Those same happy hormones can keep us feeling mentally good. This can help turn around the feeling of being in the doldrums. Life hands each of us problems. Problems are a normal part of life. It is up to us whether we choose to be depressed about them and go about with sadness surrounding us, or we choose to smile. Our problem may not go away immediately, but we can face them boldly. One of the quickest ways to get to this happy and relaxed state is through meditation. When we meditate, we are tapping into a source of all happiness and bliss. Those who experience God refer to God as all consciousness, all truth, and all bliss. Our soul is a drop of that ocean. When we meditate, we are connecting with our soul, our true essence, which is bliss. In meditation, when we focus at the seat of the soul, a doorway opens that leads us into the realms beyond. Carried on a stream of Light and Sound, the same essence as God, we swim along this river of bliss which leads to the eternal infinite ocean of bliss. Immersed in this ecstasy, we are far removed from the pains and sorrows of life. Our soul is filled with happiness so much so that we become one big eternal smile. When we emerge from our meditation, we carry that happiness with us the rest of the day. Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj
