another so my question is how can it forgive others who have harmed us
how can we forgive others who have harmed us this is an essential crowning
virtue on the spiritual part until you have mastered this virtue of learning
how to forgive you have not really entered the spiritual realm because
every little thing will pull you down we are living in a world of imperfect
people we can never expect that nobody will harm us we can never expect that
nobody will do things wrong to us this is going to happen again and again
supposing I ask you has anybody ever wronged you
everybody will put up their hands yes poverty it was my relatives might so and
so my boss my subordinate then it happens to everybody
now supposing you don't forgive what is the consequence the consequence is that
your mind gets filled overcome with resentment resentment is such a terrible
thing it's like pouring and toxic waste into
your mind you will not allow anybody to come and throw garbage in your
drawing-room but by harboring resentment we are doing it to ourselves one lady
came to me and said Swamiji this person that this
justice look what he did to me and she went on and on about it for 20-30
minutes so I said look what you are doing to yourself what that person that
is a different matter it is said to be wronged as nothing unless you keep
remembering it that is why the religions of the world have emphasized that you
need forgive though how do you forgive
the first thing is that understand where people are coming from we are in the
material realm and everybody here is a materially conditioned soul if you were
to go into the hospital and say why do I find sick people out here the doctor
would say you are mentally sick in a hospital you will find sick people what
else do you expect if you go to a prison house you will find prisoners there
similarly we I am the material realm every soul out here is one who has been
bereft of God consciousness since endless lifetimes so such people if they
are selfish if they make mistakes if they act in ways that hurt you what is
so astonishing about it bring this knowledge of the nature of the world the
you will not have such amazing expectations where our expectations are
that you know I am so good and everybody should be good to me
that is like saying I am a vegetarian and this woodland front should not hit
me because I have not eaten any cows the bull doesn't care
similarly the world doesn't care whether you are good or bad people are acting
out of selfishness and they will do all kinds of things to you
so then you have this perspective your expectations are not high and that is
why the disappointments are also not there when I preach as my duty I am
prepared that the person whom I am trying to help me tomorrow turn around
and try and hurt me if that happens I will not be surprised that's the way the
world is now after understanding the nature of the world the second is to
remember that you forgive not as a favor to the other you forgive as a favor to
yourself like I always say that to harbor resentment is like drinking
poison and hoping the other person dies if we are not forgiving we are harming
ourselves we are poisoning our blood fear hurting our body and most
importantly we are be spoiling our mind that is why the Saints around the world
said if you wish to make progress you will
have to master this one virtue of forgiving those who have wronged you you
will have to do it again and again and again
and when you move ahead you will find that God will also have to be forgiving
you are divine beloved for he will behave unjustly with you he will behave
in hurtful ways with you why will he do that to help you move to the next stage
because every time you overcome a hurt you are overcoming your little self what
makes it so difficult to forgive is that self seeking nature that self-centered
nature of ours and to accomplish the spiritual goal we have to engage in a
complete transformation one st. used to say what is divine love divine love
means eternal forgiveness that is if you see the love between Radha and Krishna
Krishna is always behaving wrongly with rather and she has to keep forgiving him
it isn't that forgiving that she's exercising her love so spiritual love is
exercised in these divine virtues of sacrifice of self application of
forgiveness not in self fulfillment self aggrandizement
of enjoyment that is worldly love so this virtue of forgiving it's essential
to be mastered if we wish to seriously progress and that is why we need to
ponder deeply over it and try our best to never allow resentment to live in our
heart grip allottee maharaj says who
suffered he says even by mistake even in your dreams don't permit resentment or a
grudge to take hold of your heart and mind that is how much of priority the
Saints have accorded to the need for being able to forgive and make it a
priority practice it again and again and slowly you will find it becomes easier
and easier and easier until it becomes a second nature
you