Transcript
You can bless things. It’s easy! You can do this!
You just go around blessing things.
You don’t need a clerical collar, you don’t need a fancy hat (although the hat might help).
This is a non-denominational practice. It’s not particularly religious; you can be of any religion, or no religion.
There’s no prerequisites. It’s easy! You just do it.
This is a practice of perception, of appreciation, of connection, of expanding benevolence.
It’s not a metaphysical practice. The point is your intention, not the effect that it might have on whatever it is that you’re blessing.
I normally do this silently, but for this video I’m going to do it out loud, which feels kind of dorky, but this way you can hear what I’m thinking.
When you do it, you can do it silently. I found the practice is embarrassing at first, even if you do it silently; but if you overcome your embarrassment, it becomes ecstatic.
Bless this place.
Bless this trail. I, personally, bless this place.
Bless everything here.
Bless the flowering trees.
Bless this house. May it keep its inhabitants safe and comfortable.
Bless this amazing purple plum tree. Bless these willows. Bless the creek. Bless the petals.
Bless the sun. Bless the sky, the clouds. Bless the creek, bless these new green leaves, bless last year’s dead leaves, the petals on the surface of the creek.
Bless these fluffy white flowering shrubs. Bless the shrubbery. Bless the shrubbers.
Bless last year’s dead grass; bless this year’s grass, just starting to come up.
Bless the path.
The path that takes us from the base to the result, and delights us along the way.
Bless my feet that carry me on the path, my legs that support me, the ground that supports me. Bless gravity!
Bless these birds. Bless the cottonwoods that are just starting to get leaves. Bless the contrail.
Bless these plums. Bless these three plum trees, each individually.
Bless these dandelions.
Bless this fruit orchard. Bless the fruit that will come from the fruit orchard. Bless those who planted the fruit orchard. Bless those who will enjoy the fruit. Bless the carpet of petals on the ground. Bless the forsythias.
Bless the dog poop bag. No, it’s gloves! Bless whoever thoughtfully put the gloves in a place where someone might find them again.
Bless those who clean up after their dogs, bless their dogs, bless the love they have for their dogs.
Bless the warmth of the day. Bless the wind, the breeze, caressing my skin.
Woo! Bless the bunny. Hello, bunny! Bless you, bunny! Two bunnies! Bless you both.
Bless this manhole cover, that is undoubtedly doing something important.
Bless… Danielle Amanda Quillman Heilmann, who died in her twenties, with a ginkgo leaf. Bless her memory. Bless those who remember her. Bless them for providing this bench.
Bless the bridge. Bless the bridge makers. Bless the Continental Custom Bridge Company. Bless the solidity of the iron. Bless everything made of iron everywhere. Bless the sound it makes.
I bless the neighborhood. I bless this house. I bless the people who live in this house. I bless their future. May they always know happiness.
Bless this place. Bless all phenomena here. Bless all beings here. Bless all beings everywhere now and forever.
Bodhi. Svaha. So mote it be.
