About a year ago, Geoff Napier called Cynthia Black, editor in chief of Beyond Words Publishing in the US, to talk about printing an expanded edition of the Gentle Art of Blessing, which had already sold more copies than a typical New York Times bestseller. We felt that Beyond Words could do a wonderful job of bringing this special book to the wider audience it deserves.
The Gentle Art of Blessing first appeared as a collection of wonderful words on blessing that the author passed around to his friends, family and acquaintances. The response was overwhelming, and soon that circle grew to include strangers from around the globe. The first version was published in French in 1998 and later in English in 2003.
We hope this edition touches as many lives as possible with Pierre’s profound teachings on the power of blessing. After publishing The Secret, whose message of gratitude struck a chord with millions of people, I see in this book the concept of gratitude taken to the next level. This active practice is a silent revolution, even more important in these challenging times. It truly has the power to connect hearts around the world.
A Blessing for Yourself
It is fitting that the last blessing in this book be for yourself, given in the spirit of Zephaniah 3:17.
Infinite Mother-Love, I bless myself as the smile of Thy great Love, as the song of Thine infintegoodness, as the stream of Thy refreshing Truth.
I bless myself in the discernment that enables me to realize that I am a stream, a song, a smile to all those I meet – as they are for me.
I bless myself in my peace that is as deep as the ocean and as calm as the lake at dusk.
Use and reinvent this blessing every day, adding the qualities you especially wish to express – patience, intelligence, purity, strength, humour, whatever. Remember that as the reflection, the smile of God, you already have these qualities as part of you. They do not have to be added on, but simply unveiled.
Enjoy the unveiling, dear friend. It will become the greatest discovery in your existence.
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With reference to Pierre Pradervand’s book “The Gentle Art of Blessing”
I bought my copy only recently and still in the middle of reading it
About forgiving is the most selfless and selfish thing we can do to release
our selves from resentment, emotional pain and blame of past hurts from others.
In fact a gift of unconditional love to ourselves as by loving our selves we can unconditionally love others.
He says we should forgive and forget now the forgive part I can understand and practice but forget? I don’t want to forget as all my experiences are helping me to be the wiser spiritual aware person I am becoming today.
Also surly for human beings our memory is an integral part of our humanness and how we learn from the past. If we forget how can we learn from past experiences?
I think sometimes our expectations of those we love and put our trust in don’t always match up or behave the way we think they should. So we become disappointed with the way they treat us and expect them to be responsible for our happiness. Well that is too big a responsibility to expect of anyone isn’t it? As the only person responsible for that is our selves. Once we realise that we can release all of our expectations of he or she should have done that or said that and not done that or said that.
Also sometimes I think we are so busy thinking about how we have been offended and disappointed by others that we forget that maybe we have also unintentionally hurt and disappointed them in return.
What I mostly had difficulty with was forgiving myself for not saying at the time
I don’t like you saying that or doing that or behaving in that way.
I’m sure I’m not alone here, is it that we are just too polite? don’t like making a scene? or making waves? or simply a nice wimp? Or is it deep down that we maybe think we don’t deserve to be treated better so just put up with being treated disrespectfully, but still resent it. This all leads back to our earlier years when parents and teachers often unintentionally as they had been brought up in the same manor so aren’t or weren’t aware of other ways of being slowly and insidiously instil in us low self esteem and self worth.
So we indulge in the masochistic pursuit of brooding and feeling resentful days after, weeks after, months after even years after when the person has completely forgotten about their thoughtless hurtful remarks or behaviour or would be surprised as to why we still remembered it.
These recurring feelings successfully blocks unconditional love pouring in.
The paradox is these experiences with people and relationships have helped us seek out our spirituals purpose and reconnect with our soul paths.
So we really need to think of these people giving us these experiences with gratitude and love.
This leads back to the first few lines about forgiveness.
The first most important thing to do is forgive ourselves wholeheartedly before we can start forgiving others, that way we can have true self worth and the confidence and belief that we are worthy of unconditional love.
1. Forgiveness first and foremost forgive ourselves
2. Forgiveness for others
3. Forgiveness from others
I bought a copy of the previous addition of “The Gentle Art Of Blessing” this year.
It’s a book you don’t have to read all at once. even though it is light to read it is still profound and I read a few pages at a time as I like to think about and digest the blessings in the words.
As I was reading it became clear the importance of forgiving oneself before we could truly forgive others.
As I have a quiet few days to myself I have been reading all the Cygnus Review articles and I read Pierre Pradervand’s articles from the July and August issues one after the other on Forgiveness the Greatest Gift and Releasing Resentment. where
Pierre introduces the teachings of Edith Stauffer so I’m now also practicing these 7 steps.
Pierre also describes in one passage of his book that the person you are sending blessings to is seen as surrounded by a form of good –health, abundance, joy etc. (page 70) it made me think of a bubble. This is similar or the same as sending distant healing as I see the recipient of the healing energy as surrounded in an oval or diamond shaped aura or bubble as I channel and direct energy balancing and unconditional love to them. So Blessings is healing and Healing is Blessings.
I now sometimes silently add the words sending you unlimited blessings for your health and abundance.
So thank you Pierre Pradervand for your book and articles in Cygnus.
Pamela Ann Sinclair