The Spirit Within

[Guest guest]

Hug's

Jan xox

Welcome to Day Sixteen of the Blessing Way Challenge!

And hello from my heart to yours...

Today I want to again fall back on the words and wisdom of my dear

friend and fellow blessing team member, Pierre Pradervand. In his

book, The Gentle Art of Blessing, Pierre writes, "The art of

blessing has considerable affinity with a broad spectrum of

practices that help those on the spiritual path constantly

re-center their thinking on the divine. One of the privileged ways

of doing this is in the Hindu tradition of the use of a mantram. A

mantram is a short statement, sometimes just a few words or even

one word, constantly repeated all through the day. A similar

practice is frequent in the tradition of the Eastern Orthodox

churches and medieval spirituality, as exemplified by passages of

'The Cloud of Unknowing' and numerous other writings. 'If you want

to gather all your desire into one simple word that the mind can

retain, choose a short word rather than a long one. A one syllable

word such as 'God' or 'love' is best. But choose one that is

meaningful for you. Then fix it in your mind that it will remain

there come what may.' The risk with such practices is that they

become unthinkingly mechanical. Such a risk, although small, is

much less with blessing, which, because it is usually uttered in

response to a specific situation, always need to be something fresh

every time.

"As a matter of fact, this is one of the extraordinary things with

this practice. You can do it dozens, hundreds of times in a day,

and it can stay as fresh on the 113th time when you return home at

midnight as at the start of the day. It is just like a fountain:

Who has ever heard of a fountain turning stale or tasteless after a

particularly long day of activity, catering to hundreds of thirsty

passersby on an especially hot summer day? Blessing is a fountain,

and the fountain is our heart, and our heart never need grow old or

tired. At eighty, it can stay as intact, fresh and enthusiastic as

at fifteen.

"Above all, this constant centering and resting of the mind on the

kingdom within will, little by little, bring with it that peace

that 'passeth all understanding.'"

Finding our spiritual center helps us to simplify, beautify and

fortify our lifes. It takes us from the mundane to the sacred,

allowing us to breath holiness into everyone and everything we

encounter. We are spiritual beings in human form, after all, and

in that single instant when we recognize a universal Life Force

residing in the midst of us; when we say to ourselves, "Ah, yes,

there must be a higher consciousness and it must be wholly present

in me" -- in that single instant, we remember our spiritual selves

and everyone and everything becomes Holy once more.

Blessing reminds us of this pact we have with the Divine. Each time

we bless another person, place or thing, we recognize the Spirit

within and open our minds to universal Sacredness. We reconnect to

who and what we really are. Blessing awakens us, shaking off our

nightmare delusions that there is anything else but Good in the

universe, and reminding us that we are all One, all connected and

that this rich and abundant Goodness is the universal connector.

Today's exercise:

As you practice the art of blessing, you are coming to terms with

your Spiritual Nature. Do not try to define it. It is impossible

to squeeze something as vast as Spirit into the smallness of a

definition. Simply open yourself to the possibility that a

Spiritual Power Source exists well beyond any preconceived notions

you may have held in the past and that this Supreme Beingness is

now present everywhere, even seated at the core of who you are.

Breathe in this Goodness and feel the Presence within you.

Record any thoughts that arise in your Blessing Way Journal.

Today's affirmation:

"When I bless, I connect with my Holiness."

Today's quote:

"I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing;

therefore, choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live."

-- Deuteronomy 30:19

"See" you in the next lesson and until then remember, it is ALWAYS

BETTER TO BLESS.

May you be blessed,

Kate

Live More Abundantly Productions, P.O. Box 58, Strawn, Texas 76475, USA

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