Forgiveness: Concepts & Benefits

FORGIVENESS: Concepts & Benefits

Forgiveness is a funny thing.  It warms the heart and cools the sting.  ~William Arthur Ward

All of us, at some point or the other in our life, have faced situations where we were scolded, ashamed or abused. What follows thereafter? Anger, resentment and a feeling to take revenge slowly starts growing in a person’s mind and heart. This feeling forever stays with them till they achieve their goal. This helps them to create a viscous cycle of hatred and anger. Are we born to get trapped into this forever? The answer is “NO”. But how does a person get out of it?

Simple “forgive them and let go”. It is easier said than done, but one must try. People should try not to be mean and rise above. From a spiritual angle, the very purpose of forgiveness is self-healing. As long as we are holding anger, resentment and grudges against another person, we are increasing the level of toxic substances in our body and fastening the process to release them. This in turn lowers our immunity power to fight against diseases, propels our mind to negativity. This also negates the good deeds in our karma. Forgiveness should be given with out any expectations and without any communication on the part of the person forgiven, irrespective of the relationship shared between the two.

Most religions include teachings on the nature of forgiveness. This includes the need for humans to seek divine forgiveness for their own faults or shortcomings. Other religions lay emphasis on the need for people to forgive one another. In Buddhism, forgiveness is viewed as a practice to prevent harmful thoughts from destroying one’s mental well-being. Buddhism preaches us that feeling of hatred and ill-will; leave a lasting effect on our mind and karma. Karma is a sum of all that a person has done earlier, is currently doing and will do in future. The effects of those deeds (done in the past) and these deeds (being done in the present time) actively create present and future experiences, thus making one responsible for one’s own life, and the pain in others. Lord Krishna said in the Bhagwad Gita that forgiveness is one of the characteristics of a person born for a divine state of consciousness. Forgive; if not for yourselves then do this for a better tomorrow for you and your near & dear ones