What happens when we forgive others?

Why forgiveness?

(appeared in the Central Chronicle, Indore/Bhopal on 05, 01,2010)

           Human beings are multidimensional beings. We have social dimension that gives us the identity of beings that live in society; we have spiritual dimension that specifies our relationship with our creator – God; we also have psychological dimension that helps us to relate with ourselves as well as with others. Being in the society, we have to co-exist with each other and relate with each other. We cannot imagine a life totally independent of others. The food one eats, has reached to him/her with the help of many hands; the language one speaks, is not created by him/her, the clothes one wears are not one’s own creation. Putting it in a nut shell, one has to depend on others for a successful human life.

                Love is the only dynamic force that binds everybody together and that helps everyone to relate with each other in a meaningful manner. This love may be in different forms, viz. love of parents towards their children and vice versa, love of master towards servants and vice versa, love of God towards human beings and vice versa and so on. When this Love is missing from our life, our life becomes totally dry and meaningless. We find no satisfaction in life. The opposite of love is hatred, and hatred comes when we have something against somebody. When we do not forgive others we cannot live a peaceful life. Since we depend on each other, it is of utmost importance that we live with each other at peace.

               The attitude of unforgiveness brings lots of tensions and disturbances in one’s mental, spiritual and emotional life. When our heart is not at peace, we fall victim to many sicknesses. Many sicknesses are born because we are not at peace with others and consequently with ourselves. William Johnston, in his book Silent Music- the Science of Meditation, says “assuredly it is acknowledgement that up to eighty percent of modern sickness is psychosomatic in origin, or has a psychosomatic origin.” (Page 107). When we have no peace within, we are overcome by sickness, and peace within will be attained only when we treat others as we treat ourselves, when we have no grudge or anything evil against anybody, in other words, when we forgive those who offend us.

              It is very difficult to forgive someone who has hurt us, and it is still more difficult to ask forgiveness. When we forgive, we feel we are the losers, we are cowards; we are put down, but the fact is, when we ask forgiveness we not only become the winners but make others also winners. Suppose the other person is not ready to forgive, than you do it, you forgive the other person for not forgiving you. You will have peace, you will have well being, and you will find joy and happiness. Now it is time to begin to recollect whom you have to ask pardon and whom you need to forgive.

- B. Johnson Maria