Real forgiveness is the capability of suppressing your judgment of yourself and others. The power of forgiveness, in this sense, is to find a space inside your heart and soul where you have no mask but have your full attention on a new worldview of human existence. You have transformed your emotion and feelings from resentment into compassion by finding the stillness and harmony of an esoteric love. You feel no pain, no sorrow, and no desire. You want nothing for a state where everything is you. Therefore, the true power of forgiveness is finding the real you.
It is human psychological nature to be grateful for good things and memories, including any place, anyone, or any situation. It is close to impossible to forgive negative things or events. It is all right if you cannot offer full forgiveness, but you must at least try for your own well-being and happiness. It is your responsibility to maintain the stability of your emotional and mental health, to carry no bitterness in your heart, and to enjoy future moments of your life without the lousy load of severe anxiety. It is a life-long learning experience balancing our intellect and emotions through the practice of compassion. Over-emphasized feelings fall into sentimentality, judgment, cynicism, and fantasy without rational guidance or evaluation. A mature heart gives you access to your inner strengths and unconditional love energy.
Forgiveness was misinterpreted in the past under the biased understanding of other people's sins against us. The distorted meaning of forgiveness keeps us prisoned in self-righteousness and self-arrogance. We encourage genuine forgiveness here to let us move on to a bright and accessible space that does not require judgment or verification of ourselves. In most cases, the sins we claim on others reflect the attitudes held within our hearts and souls. Forgiveness is the self-resurrection process that helps us to compassionately understand the actions of others, especially their loneliness, loss, and fear. Forgiveness is critical for humans to survive in today's complicated world because the lack of reliable sources of information affects our consciousness to make the right decisions.
Josh’s View on Forgiveness
I resonate with your thoughts on the power of forgiveness. I watched the twin towers come down during 911 while I was on the eighth floor of the Milstein Hospital building with several peers. We knew the world was about to change when we saw the World Trade Center buildings in flames with smoke filling the sky. We could not imagine what the strongest country would do in revenge upon the attackers. If we look deeper, the revenge against the 911 terrorists did not bring more peace to the world or safety to the American people. The revenge wars related to the 911 attack generated more hate and separation among nations, religions, and cultures. Today, I would concentrate on forgiveness rather than seeking revenge because compassion and love are the only solutions to world disputes and challenges.
Mary’s View on Forgiveness
Thank you for talking about forgiveness. I placed my mother in a nursing facility on her 78th birthday ten years ago. I had no options because her Alzheimer's disease caused me anxiety and stress. She told me several times before she lost her memory to not put her in a nursing home. I have had difficulty forgiving myself for failing to keep my promise to my mother. I initially called the nurse several times a week to check on her situation, but I lost contact after a while. Over the intervening years I sought therapy about my guilty emotions convincing myself that there was nothing else I could have done for my mother. I have learned to forgive myself and to move on with my life because my mother would want me to do that.
To Be Continued.