Bullying is an extremely common form of violence. It starts at a very young age and it occurs in daycare centers, on and off school grounds and college campuses, at social and sporting events. This is a worldwide problem, but in the US alone, 2.1 million school children in grades K-12 are bullies, and 2.7…
Tag: Gentle Art of Blessing
Are trials really blessings in disguise?
A few years ago, I went through a tsunami that swept absolutely everything from under my feet. Here I was, a respected trainer and writer, in a marriage seen by many as a model, in apparent perfect health (I had never used my health insurance since I contracted it decades ago) and with a very…
Integrity
Because integrity is such an essential element of the spiritual quest – after all it is one of the many dimension of truth – I felt like sharing my reflections on the theme of being true to oneself – which is the essence of integrity as I understand it. Integrity is a quality of being.…
Do we know how cherished we are?
Marianne Williamson, one of the great figures of the American spiritual scene, has published a superb book of brief daily reflections, A YEAR OF MIRACLES. I would like to quote in its entirety one that I ponder practically every morning at the start of my day: Nothing about your material circumstances has the power to…
Making A Difference
Armel Nibasumba was but a year old when he and his family fled from their home in Burundi before it was burnt down by a mob. Most of the world’s attention was focused on the 1994 mass killings in Rwanda of ethnic Tutsis by the majority Hutus, but the same tensions were also at play…
No enemies, no hatred
One of the most famous prisoners of opinion in the world today is China’s most well-known political dissident, Liu Xiaobo, who has already served nearly half his 11 year sentence. He holds no animosity towards his Communist jailors or the party that imprisoned him. At the time of his sentencing, he said: “I have no…
The Building of the Servant Nation
For generations, a nation of world servants has, little by little, been building up everywhere. In fact, it has existed as an embryo for far longer, but in the past 30-40 years it has been manifesting itself in a much more concrete manner. It is made up of this invisible yet ever more active network…
Compassion heals
In a fascinating book which just appeared in French, ‘Meditation Saved Me’, the Tibetan monk Phakyab Rinpoche explains how he healed himself of a serious case of gangrene of the foot and tuberculosis of the bones through the power of meditation. His meditation included an important component of compassion for the world. The doctors in…
Who or what is “God”?
Many years ago, I was living in Senegal, W Africa. I lived on a beach between two shanty towns. I was on very friendly terms with the son of the imam of one of the two shanty towns, and one Sunday afternoon I decided I would go to the imam’s home and ask him how…
Dualism and Non Dualism
(Oneness of all things) One can probably say that well over 90 per cent of religions and spiritual paths in the world are dualistic in nature. Everything goes by two: spirit and matter, life and death, good and evil, God and man, heaven and hell, the past and the future, etc. The divinity is pictured…
How to run a blessing circle
The circle is an interdenominational space open to all, free from all political, specific religious or sectarian practice where each one affirms unconditionally their desire that unlimited good be bestowed on people, local, regional or world situations. The term blessing as used on this site means to wish for the real good of one’s neighbor…
A blessing for journalists
I bless all journalists (or: the journalists of (name of station or newspaper/magazine) in their great love for and responsiveness to truth, and their sensitivity to beauty and goodness. I bless them in their ability to avoid being manipulated into reporting trivia or hiding truth. They denounce evil only to correct it. I bless them…
A blessing for yourself
Infinite Mother-Love, I bless myself as the smile of Thy great Love, as the song of Thine infinite goodness, as the stream of Thy refreshing Truth. I bless myself in the discernment that enables me to realize that I am a stream, song, smile to all those I meet – as they are for me.…
A blessing for a waitress, cashier or shop employee
I bless this day and the countless opportunities for service it offers. I bless myself in my ability to do my best at all times, to work diligently and serenely, to manifest utmost patience and grace with irate or impatient customers, and to offer the precious gift of a smile to all those I encounter.…
A blessing for a nurse
I bless this day as a series of ever-renewed opportunities to serve with love. May each of the leaves of my tree be for the healing of every individual I encounter. I especially bless and rejoice in the opportunities: To do things well rather than carelessly or in a hurry To smile rather than scowl…
After my visit to a US publisher where I talked to the assembled staff
“I started using blessing the next morning with my daughter. We were both beating heads, so I stopped and started blessing her. You know what she said after about five minutes? “Mama, I love you and I can feel your love coming to me.” I think my draw dropped to the floor. And many more…
Healing of work relationship after 12 years
Anne was a participant of one of my workshops on blessing. A schoolteacher in an average-sized school, she had a colleague who stubbornly ignored her very existence. Anne had not the foggiest idea why. When they would cross in the school corridor, the other teacher would simply look the other way, conveying the clear message:…
