I’ve seen some interesting feedback on Facebook and Twitter about the oil spill, and one of the questions running around is “What is your idea on how to fix the oil leak in the Gulf?” Some responses were serious, and some not so, like “take all the execs of BP and plug it up with them!”

People are upset. And I would hope, people are also working to find solutions. Last night I watched Cousteau’s grandson go diving in the oil infested waters, and he likened the oil burning through the ocean above him to dark clouds in the sky. It was shown that the leak is 25 miles deep, and is now hallmarked as the largest oil spill in history, exceeding the Exxon tragedy.

Those are tough words to hear.

And, it’s easy to fall into hating the people responsible for such a massive disservice to our planet. Who in the world would bless them? In light of what I spoke about earlier in the week about this issue, I remembered the lessons from Pierre Pradervand, author of The Gentle Art of Blessing. I know I have to shift my own thinking out of the ruts of hate, and into something more beneficial to everyone, especially the planet. I need to make an effort to stay out of the lower energies, and raise mine up. I asked him how he would respond to this crisis, thinking that shifting my thinking — and helping others to — might help the planet in the long run.

Here is his response:

“There are basically two ways of responding to a drama of any kind, be it the recent oil leakage in the Gulf of Mexico, war and terrorism, social injustice, you name it: cursing or blessing. “Cursing” means directing thoughts of condemnation and judgment at people or events. The result of such an attitude is that it very literally builds up like a cement wall — only the wall is a mental one of rejection and condemnation — making it much more difficult for the individuals or group causing the problem to change, as they become defensive. The other response is to bless, to shower them with love, to see them in their divine nature, which is the core of every single individual on the planet. In other words, we bless to reverse the false material appearance and see the spiritual reality, which is always whole and good, behind the veil of material appearances.

In my spiritual work for the Gulf situation a moment ago, I blessed the CEO of BP and all those in positions of responsibility in the company in their deep integrity, their spirit of public service, their openness to inspiration (so that they may find concrete, creative solutions to the spill,) their humility and openness to learning and hearing what others say, their deep innocence, etc. This may not be apparent when one reads the media, but, at another non-material level, this is what is going on. Claiming the power of good and right action in the face of its glaring opposite is one of the most potent tools for transforming the planet today. Then you might continue by blessing the marine life in its integrity too, its ability to protect itself against harmful influences of any kind, and rejoicing that true Life cannot be touched by evil of any kind, that its wholeness is guaranteed by its very essence.

Create your own blessings in like manner for any situation. For over 20 years I have been receiving feedback from the whole planet, from people in innumerable cultures, from death row in Texas to the furthest reaches of the Sahel, saying that BLESSING WORKS. It heals (even physically), it regenerates and rejuvenates, it uplifts and soothes, it adjusts wrongs and strengthens right. Friend, become a world healer through blessing.”

Learn more about Pierre’s work at www.gentleartofblessing.com.

A blog post by our beloved Pierre Pradervand, author of The Gentle Art of Blessing.

It has been my privilege to travel widely through the five continents of the world in the course of a very active existence. I have met people from all walks of life, from prostitutes to presidents, saints and sinners. I have witnessed incredible poverty, amazing acts of daily heroism (especially from women). I have studied numerous belief systems, religions, philosophies, met those who were certain they were going to save the world and many doing their best to destroy it. But if I had to mention one single thing which I believe the most important by very very far for, not only the survival, but the harmonious evolution of mankind, it is simply LOVE.

And the best place to find it might be in yourself! This is what prompted the following short text I use in my Living Differently workshops (www.vivreautrement.ch). I ponder it three times a day. Hopefully it might be useful for you:

I AM LOVE
A meditation or prayer on identity

I am love. Love is all I have always been.

I am only love, manifesting all that love is.

Love constitutes my real identity.
“As She/He is, so are we in this world“ (I John 4:17)

Love is also the identity of all those I meet, whatever the material appearances.

Love constitutes the ground of my being, the only law governing my existence. It is the only meaning of my life, freed from all ego.

May love be the point of departure of all my thoughts, my only possible response to any aggression, encounter, fear, event, situation, challenge or joy.

May love be the only presence I express, for it is the ultimate reality of my being which it fills entirely, constituting my one and only power.

Love constitutes the space of my existence, the very life of my life, its true essence, my only presence.

Love which created me is what I am.

The ego, the mental realm of the human mind imbued with Cartesian logic, will oppose numerous shrill arguments to these statements. Do not listen to them. Let them simply pass like grey clouds in front of the clear blue sky. Welcome these affirmations with your spiritual sense. Listen to them deeply, from the heart. Fill yourself with their deeper meaning, without filtering them through human concepts. Just rest in them. Just BE these words.

So, now it was 5 PM I am trying to not feel too drugged-up and I get a call from my daughter — she was going to pick my up and take my home.  She is stuck at the bottom of the hill from her home and not going anywhere.  I looked at the nurse and politely asked her to call for a cab.  Hmmm…  A recording comes on saying I am 30th in line,  nope that will not work..  This place is closing in 15 minutes…  Hmmm….????  I suggested taking the MAX light rail home and the nurses went into hysterics.  No, I am not allowed to walk or sit.  “You’re not…  Blah..blah.. blah…”  I finally signed my life away on many forms and headed out.  One of the nurses held me up trying to call the doctor.  I then decided to “borrow” a pair of booties from the center to use as mittens.  Smart call on my part since I was carrying a new book and was not about to let go. (The booties had little grippers on the bottom that really helped hold onto my precious cargo.)

The doctor had already left and when summoned  he volunteered his PA to take me to the MAX.  I arrived at the MAX at about 5:30pm. Between 2 trains, an hour wait for a bus out in the snow, one bus ride and walking for a quarter mile, I arrived home in one piece.

I still had a smile on my face and was not to much worse for wear.  HERE is why.  I had on my booties/mittens carrying the book  The Gentle Art of Blessing.  The book was in very sad shape, wet, crumbled and really looking old. Putting this little practice into action I blessed everything, everyone and myself!!!  Blessing poured out of me like never before.  It was wonderful…  A Three Hour Tour….

We all survived that snowy day. Some fared better than others.   I will admit it was my first try to get from point A to point B via car, train, bus and foot…AND, I made it and am blessed for the experience…

For many millennia, especially since the creation of the first cities, societies which were dominated by men were run essentially on the basis of a win-lose (competitive, Darwinian, masculin) paradigm. As long as technologies were extremely primitive, population density very sparse, and communications almost inexistent, this model could seem to function – and in fact, it did function for those in power: the nobility, the military, the rich, the clergy of all creeds and men.

However, with the advent of the Industrial Revolution, things changed dramatically. From around one billion in 1800, world population has reached close to seven billion today. Communications have become instantaneous worldwide, and many technologies represent real risks for our survival: not only the atom, but pesticides, the modern petroleum run car, GMOs, innumerable chemical or pharmaceutical products (around 100′000 mostly untested chemicals are rampant in the world environment and e.g. hormones are upsetting the hormonal balance of polar bears in Greenland). The most dramatic impact has been in the economic area, where the competitive model has led to a totally lopsided system which functions essentially no longer to improve the lives of citizens, but to amass huge amounts of money for the already rich (98 per cent of the 3 billion dollars exchanged daily are traded for purely speculative reasons).

The failure of the Copenhagen conference is a perfect example of what happens when male energy attempts to run the game. The feminine energy of cooperation. Only a major and rapid change to a holistic, win-win model based on the essentially feminine energy of cooperation, synthesis, intuition and love can get us back on track. Fred Donaldson, author of Playing by Heart, writes: “We have to understand that in our quest to conquer each other and the earth, the longer ‘we’ win, the more ‘we’ lose.” As the French geneticist Joël de Rosnay once noted: “The masculine values were necessary to conquer the world. These are warlike values, adapted to the early stages of humanity … In the 21st century, the world no longer needs to be conquered. It has become our home for all. And we need to give top priority to the values which will enable us to organize this home, in other words feminine values,” amongst which he mentions intuition, a more holistic view of interdependence, coordination, etc.

If we men can drop our pride and our sisters summon their courage, and all of us share a common vision, we will make it.

By Pierre Pradervand – January 7, 2010

Pierre Pradervand has worked for decades in personal development and social justice across the world, and currently lives in Switzerland so it is a real treat to have such a beautiful and inspiring gentleman with us in Portland. I have watched a video of one of his talks and it was incredibly moving and profoundly inspiring.

In his wonderful book, The Gentle Art of Blessing, described blessings in these simple but eloquent terms:

“To bless means to wish, unconditionally and from the deepest chamber of your heart, unrestricted good for others and events; it means to hallow, to hold in reverence, to behold with awe that which is always a gift from the Creator. He who is hallowed by your blessing is set aside, consecrated, holy, whole. To bless is to invoke divine care upon, to speak or think gratefully for, to confer happiness upon, although we ourselves are never the bestower, but simply the joyful witnesses of life’s abundance.

For you Portlanders, don’t miss Pierre’s exclusive event, one-night only, at New Renaissance Bookstore.