FORGIVENESS

There is a vast difference between forgiveness and giving in. Giving in is a meek form of life, but forgiveness is not being a fool. You just forgive and continue doing what you have to do. If you give in to a person to whom you don’t want to give in because the person is wrong, you will enhance his or her power. Because you don’t want to fight the fight, you will actually hurt him.

You cannot let go of something without forgiveness, because it is still lying deep inside of you like a stagnating well that will decay, smell, rot and bring you down. You can love your enemies; you don’t have to be near them. All right, they hurt you. But I am not going to go down to that level and swim in the dirt and spend my life with non-forgiveness. I want to be forgiven for anything I have done intentionally or unintentionally to hurt anyone. Forgiveness is a form of the greatest love.

Silence without forgiveness is nothing at all except silence.
Silence with forgiveness is God,
And in that silence you know yourself.
In that silence you demand the fire,
And that becomes true silence…
The silence of the forgiving heart.

“I forgive myself” is an unbelievable mantra. When you begin to forgive yourself, look at your day, lie down at night and look at what you have accomplished during that one day. Ask yourself, “Have I lied? Have I hurt anyone? Have I lived this day fully?” When you say, “I shouldn’t have done that,” place it on a metaphorical breakfast plate. Remember it the next day, eat it, and make sure you don’t do that again

Ma Jaya

Ma Jaya's Sacred Art: Indian Sunset series