[Buddha-l] Re: On being unarmed and compassionate

[Richard P. Hayes]

On Sun, 2005-10-23 at 15:43 -0600, Jim Peavler wrote:

> I smiled, but I realize that isn't much comfort.

It depends on whether you smiled one of those arhant smiles, where the
corners of the mouth turn up slightly as if you might just be having gas
pains, or whether you smiled one of those foolish common-folk smiles in
which tears ran down the cheeks as involuntary ejaculations escaped from
the vocal cavity, making the neighbors suspect a pair of sea turtles
might be mating on the rooftop. 

Both kinds of smile would bring me psychological comfort, of course, but
the latter would probably contribute more to your overall health. I read
not long ago in some prestigious medical journal, or perhaps the
National Enquirer, that researchers have learned that fifteen minutes of
laughter a day is as good for one's heart and lungs as a forty minute
bicycle ride behind a city bus. But then you knew that.

-- 
Richard