Secrets of Spiritual Happiness

Secret #28 -- Be a Blessing

 

    

 

By Sharon Janis

 

Play this chapter in realplayer audio

 

Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go.

--Oscar Wilde

 

Once upon a time, a king and his men were on their way to hunt, when they saw a simple fellow riding his donkey on the trail ahead of them.   In that kingdom, seeing a donkey was considered to be a bad omen.   The king was furious.   He had been planning for this hunting trip all month, and now this man on the donkey had ruined the whole thing.   "Go beat him!" the King commanded his men.   They beat the man severely, and then the hunting party went on its way.  

That day, the hunt went exceptionally well - in fact, it was the most successful hunt the king had ever had.   On his way back to the palace, the king saw that same area of the road where they'd passed the man on his donkey.   He felt a little guilty about having his men beat someone who had ended up being a very good omen.   

The next morning, the king told his soldiers to bring the man to the castle, so he could apologize to him. The badly bruised man was brought to the king's courtyard.

"I want to apologize to you," the king expressed, "It seems that you and your donkey were good omens, after all.   Our hunt went exceptionally well."

"Well, your majesty," the man replied, "I saw your face yesterday morning, and look at my body - it's black and blue from head to toe.   Tell me, O King, who is a good omen, and who is a bad omen?"

The finest road to spiritual happiness is to do your very best to be a blessing to everyone you see and to everyone you know.   Even if you think someone has done something awful to you, you can still train yourself to wish well for him or her, although it may be a struggle at first.   In fact, I always say that one way to receive my blessing is to get me angry, because instead of saying what my emotions might like to say -- which might make this book R-rated, so I'll leave it to your imagination -- when the person's name comes up, I'll often say "God bless him," or "God bless her."    I've even come close to suggesting that some folks could just go "bless" themselves.  

Getting into a habit of giving your blessings may start out feeling somewhat uncomfortable, strange, or insincere, because most of us are relatively unaware of our own, truly awesome power to give blessings.   However, with gratitude and faith, giving blessings comes naturally.   Once you see and appreciate all the blessings in your life, your gratitude for your own blessings will naturally inspire you to want to be a blessing to others, no matter who they are or what they have done or not done to or for you.   If they are good, you'll want to bless them; and if they are bad, you'll want to bless them twice.

 

The highest exercise of charity is charity towards the uncharitable.

- J. S. Buckminster

 

Giving blessings is an especially important secret to spiritual happiness, because our wishes of blessings for others come back to us in many ways.   You can think of this whole universe as being one big "I'm rubber, you're glue."   If you offer abundant blessings and wishes of happiness for everyone, then that's likely what you'll find appearing in your own life as well.

You can even give blessings to people without telling them.   In fact, this can be a more selfless form of blessing, because you're not doing it so the person will like you or give you something back when you are in need.   In the silence of your heart, you can send unconditional blessings to a friend, or to the whole world - in a simple but heartfelt gift, offered beneath the blanket of physical reality, in the realm of spiritual happiness.  

Right now, take a moment to offer a prayer and blessing for every being on this planet -- pray for grace to manifest as whatever would be a blessing for them right now.   And may God bless you too!  

 

 

More Chapters from Secrets of Spiritual Happiness

 

 

---

Additional Works by Sharon Janis

Click on a book or CD cover to enjoy it online
(most in their entirety):

   

 

 

 

Home Page | Contact | Site Map | Books | Spiritual Commentary Blog | Secrets of Spiritual Happiness | Links | Chanting and Devotional Singing | Inspiring Videos | Sanskrit Spiritual Scriptures | Workshops | Photographs | Kirtan Chanting | Chai | Sacred Music Concerts | About the Artist | Disclaimer | About Night Lotus | Purchasing Our Works