There is such a need in the world today of the most tender and immense compassion and deeper, more unselfed caring and giving, and blessing is one simple and efficient way of doing it. It is also an amazing tool for learning instantaneous, unconditional forgiveness, a practice upon which, given our dramatic divisions in the world, our survival as a race literally depends.
Practiced with perseverance and total sincerity, it will enable you to reach that magical inner freedom from resentment the great American mystic of the last century, Joel Goldsmith, described when he wrote that no one could enter his consciousness who needed to be forgiven, because he had already forgiven them seventy times seven. And when I speak of blessing, I mean that spontaneous outflowing of compassion from the heart which surrounds one’s neighbor with the most caring tenderness, and not some liturgical or ecclesiastical practice.
Personally, I cannot observe the slightest form of suffering in another human being or animal without immediately and spontaneously blessing the being concerned. It has become an automatic reflex of the heart. Not owning a car, I use public transport a great deal and it is such a precious space to practice blessing. If I see a raving drunkard, I will bless him in his peace and deep inner contentment. If I see someone who looks deeply depressed, I will bless them in their quiet joy, hope and serenity. If I see someone who is lame or physically handicapped, I will bless them in their uprightness and well-being. I spontaneously bless all smokers in their deep inner contentment, because to consciously puff at something that is going to probably shorten your life there must be some hidden dissatisfaction that motivates you to do so.
Some time ago I received a phone call from someone telling me he was from the Apple-Windows office in London and that I had problems with my computer (an area where I am a paleolithic Neanderthalian). Suddenly I see his mouse moving on my computer screen and he starts a whole discourse in computerese and after 30 minutes asks me for $150. To make a long story short, after paying with my bank card I immediately phoned my webmaster who told me I had been ignominiously scammed. In the end, I had to change my whole system, and it cost me about $500.
Well, the very instant I realized I had been deceived I started blessing the man. There was not a second of resentment. I felt such deep compassion for the man: how could he ever reach happiness tricking people all round the globe eight hours a day? And that blessing continued for weeks.
There are many, many more reasons to bless. The practice is so simple and can have such a profound impact – see the section on healings through blessing https://gentleartofblessing.org/blessings-for-situations But just start where you are, for as metaphysician Mary Baker Eddy once wrote, “A deep sincerity is sure of success, for God takes care of it.”
Pierre Pradervand
