The Smile Project
“A genuine, affectionate smile is very important in our day-to-day lives.” – the Dalai Lama
The Smile Project is a charitable initiative inspired by The Dalai Lama’s belief in the transformative power of a heartfelt smile.
The Smile Project brings joy to Buddhist monks and nuns in Sikkim, Bhutan and Nepal through story/poetry reading, writing, and illustration.
I am a Canadian writer, adventurer, and humanitarian. I’ve visited monasteries in Bhutan and lived in a monastic community in Sikkim, while voluntarily teaching English. I’ve discovered that monks love stories: reading them, creating them, telling them, drawing them. And when they’re given the opportunity to do this, they smile.
Stories written by monks (and nuns) – like The Stone Boy, The Dragon Prince and My Master’s Robe (all by Vietnamese monk, Thich Nhat Hanh) and poetry—like Therigathapali (Verses of the Elder Nuns)– are rare. The Smile Project hopes to change this.
The Smile Project aims to inspire and publish stories and poems on monastic life, culture, traditions, and other topics of interest. The Smile Project’s goal is to promote literacy, creativity, English proficiency, cultural awareness and vitalization, sharing, and compassion.
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