chapter 20 - Forgiveness

There are no so called pure good people or so called pure bad people. Everyone has got some goodness and some selfishness or imperfections at the same time.

The only difference is the intensity of ignorance and egoism in a person and the presence or absence of self-awareness and self-control over our actions, speech and thoughts.

Either we will hurt somebody through our selfish actions and speech, or we can benefit others through our selfless actions and speech.

And all these are impermanent, because every moment there are impermanent changes going on in everyone.

A good man can change over night and become bad. So does a bad man can change over night and become good.

A so called good man might do something bad in his lifetime, and a so called bad man might do something good too.

Before we had purified our mind completely and have annihilated the ignorance and egoism from the mind, or before the realization towards selflessness, oneness, or non-separateness, that is attributeless, intentionless, nameless and formless, we need to learn to accept ourselves as we are, for being imperfect, and that we all have certain weaknesses and are being conditioned by different beliefs and cultures, and then, it is possible for us to understand, accept and respect other people for being imperfect and are being different from everyone else, free from discrimination, or the sense of separateness, intimidation and hostility.

We need to be able to forgive ourselves, then only we can forgive other people. If not we will never be in peace no matter how much we strive to look for peace.

How can we be happy about other people when we are not happy with our own self?

How can we love others when we don't love ourselves?

Stop feeling guilty or regret about the past mistakes, we can’t change anything from the past, but we can decide what is now, or our future, which is the continuous flow of now.

Guilt and regret is a big hindrance for us to advance in the path of self-inquiry and self-realization.

It is wasting lots of energy and it does not help us to be free at all. Just drop it, and move forward with the awareness and self-control of not to be committing the same mistake again.

Constantly forgive, let go and move on.

But not let this be an excuse for us to let loose on self-control and to commit any evil action. We still have to confront with all the cause and effect that we have generated through our thoughts, actions and speech. The evil actions out of evil intentions and desires will sooner or later come back to us. It's science. It's the law of nature. It's not a superstitious egoistic belief created by minds under the influence of ignorance and egoism that create fear in other people to control other people's behavior to be and not to be in certain way, and to achieve certain selfish ambition and desire. It's nothing to do with any specific worldly culture, religion or spirituality.

Inquire the truth of everything.