is never around, or if he ignores the workers’ grievances (he’s so
concerned about his own affairs that he can’t see that the workers
have poor working conditions, they’re overworked, and under paid)
the workers will eventually become so discouraged and frustrated
that they’ll either go on strike or quit altogether. The factory shuts
down, no goods are produced, and the boss is left trying to negoti-
ate with the workers. But his power is diminished if the workers
have already shut down the factory. It may never open again, and
cause the boss to lose his livelihood. (Remember, the problem did
not occur overnight.)How to smile down with the Inner Smile
Start with the Eyes
To practice the inner smile begin by closing your eyes and smiling
sincerely into them. Relax and feel a deep smile shining through
your eyes. By relaxing your eyes you can calm your entire nervous
system.
Your eyes are connected to your autonomic nervous system
which is divided into two parts, the sympathetic and parasympa-
thetic nervous systems. The sympathetic nervous system con-
trols the flight or fight reaction. The parasympathetic permits the
body to rest and feel secure. It generates calm, loving feelings and
is in turn activated by similar feelings of love and acceptance from
other people.
These two systems are linked with every organ and gland in the
body, which are given commands through the nervous system to
speed up or slow down the activity of the body as needed. Thus it
is through the link between your eyes and your nervous systems
that your entire range of emotions and immediate physical reac-
tions are controlled. By relaxing your eyes with the inner smile, you
free your mind of tension held throughout the entire body. The mind
is then freed to concentrate and apply all its available creative en-
ergy to the task at hand, e.g. harmonizing itself with the environ-
ment. This connection between visual relaxation and the ability to
concentrate is an essential Taoist insight.
After you feel your eyes tingling with a huge inner smile, direct
that smiling energy down into your body and fill your vital organs
with love. An easy way to remember the “smiling down” sequence
is as follows:Chapter III