Forgiveness

The notion of forgiveness is not a new topic, but I think it bears re-examining at this point. That’s because it is the beginning of the year, and also we are being bombarded with all kinds of explanations and opportunities to blame others for the so called “economic meltdown” that is heralded by the media. There is very little information out there that asks any of us to take responsibility for what may have occurred; very little focus on our own greed that could have contributed to the tumultuous changes around us. Does anyone in the media talk about seriously dismantling the culture of entitlement that has mushroomed around us?

Before we go any further, I want to share with you several thoughts from one of my favorite books: That book is “Island,” by Alduous Huxley. I read that book about twenty years ago, but I often refer back to several thoughts from that book. One of those that will be forever prominent in my consciousness is this: “Nothing short of everything will really do.” That saying was uttered when the external world was seemingly caving in around the main characters. Another thought from that book is this: “Two thirds of man-kinds problems are self-created; the other one-third is part of being human.” When I first read those thoughts, it had a profound impact on me: Imagine if it could be true that two-thirds of man’s suffering is self-created, that means that theoretically two-thirds of man’s suffering could be eliminated, if the right energy is employed. What is the right energy?

It could only be the kind of energy free of gossip, endless chatter, endless comparisons of what you have compared to others, gratitude, compassion…you get the picture.

What does all this have to do with forgiveness? Plenty. Let’s say we succeed in eliminating much of that two-thirds of suffering that is manmade. Then what? Any self respecting student of higher consciousness would then want to tackle that pesky one-third of suffering that is inextricably linked to being human. You know what I mean: some of the attributes you “inherited” from your upbringing. Here’s where a new use for forgiveness can really bear fruit. Just as it is a wonderful thing to project compassion and forgiveness on people who cross our path, try and consciously project that forgiveness on yourself for those things(that one-third) that are highly resistant to change, no matter what we do. Look at those things with love and forgiveness and think: OK this is the price of being human FOR ME. Many of us harbor all kinds of negative feelings about ourselves; we would never treat others as cruelly as we sometimes treat ourselves. Here is one way to dissipate that energy by zeroing in on what’s really going on:

Practice forgiveness for yourself on being human.