Illuminations 57 Is forgiveness possible before we are cleansed? In this age of Kali, the golden avatar of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu encourages us to practice kirtana in a humble state of mind, showing the qualities of patience and forgiveness that are characteristic of a tree. This instruction is not intended for self-realized souls, as they […]
Illumination 13 Forgiving those who hurt us is very difficult. In some cases, this may even seem impossible. But forgiveness is a spiritual panacea, a cure for more ills than you can imagine. The purpose of this edition of Insight is to inspire and help you forgive every person or organization that has ever hurt […]
Forgiveness frees you from being locked in a prison of your own making, in which you are both prisoner and jailer. (Sydney and Suzanne Simon) Get rid of them and you will be free. (Joseph Tson) The hatred you live with is a burning coal in your heart, and it does far more harm to […]
Illuminations Newsletter 47 In this audio issue of Illuminations, I talk with counselor Arcana Siddhi about self-forgiveness. Those of us on the spiritual path have high ideals, ideals which we often don’t meet. And especially for those who tend to be perfectionists, this can result in a lot of self-hatred, guilt, and shame. We fall […]
I am grateful for this situation. I gladly accept the hardships I need for my growth and purification. I respond positively to events in my life. I accept that no one can harm me unless I allow it. I connect with a compassionate part of me by empathizing with my “offender.” I live in accordance […]
Stories of Forgiveness – 1 A six-year-old girl in New Orleans was the first black student to attend a mixed school after apartheid. The white people were so disturbed that a black girl was going to a school that was formerly all-white, that she had to be escorted by Federal Marshals. The white students boycotted […]
Is it not hypocrisy to honor Lord Krsna, Lord Buddha, Lord Jesus or other great spiritual teachers for bringing us the gift of understanding that life is suffering, or to honor God for teaching us lessons through suffering, and then blame our “offender” who brings us the same gift as a life lesson? Is one […]
Many people tell me they are trying to forgive but can’t. This often means they are looking for logical reasons to forgive. Forgiveness is often illogical and unnatural because you are confronted with forgiving an unforgivable act. Forgiveness happens when you elevate your consciousness above hate, anger, resentment, and blame. If you remain on these […]
Do we have anyone to forgive? I received a letter from a friend in which he asks: “Isn’t gratitude the best way to forgive?” This is true if you are grateful that the person who offended you has become an instrument of your karma and helps you learn valuable lessons for your spiritual purification and […]
In my forgiveness seminars, one thing consistently stands out: when a person’s heart opens, they forgive. When the heart is softened one does not want to cause pain to another. Since resentment is about getting back at someone for the wrongs they have done, a softened heart is the antidote to resentment. Through pranayama, chanting, […]
The more I do the workshops, the more I see how needed and beneficial forgiveness is for ourselves, for relationships, for minimizing conflict at home and in the workplace, and for dealing with all the bigotry, hatred, and prejudice in the world. Ours is a culture of “If I am wronged, I get back.” Most […]
A baby lion was raised by a family of sheep. When he grew older they sent him away because he was different. A man found him lamenting because he was faced with a life alone. The man asked why are you so depressed and the lion told him of his plight. The man said you […]
To advance in spiritual life the heart must become soft. Fault finding, holding grudges, being jealous of others, etc. makes the heart hard. In the Vedas, it is said that a person advanced in spiritual consciousness has a heart soft like gold and such a soft heart can easily melt in the love of God.
A devotee of the Lord does not want to see another person suffer. He feels he has no right to judge or inflict pain on anyone. When this humility mixes with compassion and feeling for the suffering of others, forgiveness arises. In the tradition of bhakti (devotion), humility, forgiveness, and compassion are inherent within bhakti. […]
The Power of Forgiveness We get stuck with forgiving when looking for logical reasons to forgive. We often say “I can’t forgive” or “I don’t know how to forgive” because we are looking for a good reason to forgive. The problem is you may never find a “good” reason. Forgiveness challenges us to be compassionate, […]
You create your own hell, and then you burn in it. My spiritual master sometimes uses the expression “hellish mentality. Yet, he doesn’t differentiate a “hellish mentality” from “dwelling in hell.” We are impacted by every one of our thoughts. If the thoughts are hellish, we are in hell. Hell is the absence of God. […]
Is Forgiveness Possible Before We are Pure? The Golden Avatara in this age of Kali, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, asked us to do kirtana (chant the holy names of God) in a humble state of mind with the tolerance and forgiveness of a tree. This instruction was not meant for the realized souls for they were […]
Forgiveness is one of the greatest cures for victimhood. Unfortunately, not being a victim is uncomfortable for some people. It’s easy to see why a person who wants to remain a victim can’t forgive others- then they would have to give up their victimhood. We should be glad the abuse is over. Are we really […]
Love is a much more pleasant emotion than hate. If we get a taste for love, we will give up our taste for hate. If we allow ourselves to appreciate someone we hate, it will transform our life. Forgiveness takes place when there is a change in our hearts. If we only understand forgiveness in […]
On a scale of 0 to 10, 0 indicating you totally disagree and 10 indicating you totally agree, please rate the following statements. What was done was so hurtful and destructive that it is unforgivable. What was done was so hurtful and destructive that it’s wrong to forgive. Only minor offences should be forgiven. It […]