Learning to forgive oneself

There are two things I read tonight that really hit home for me, and I found them not because they mystically appeared to me in the form of a sign from the heavens, but because I sought them out.

The answers don't always just come to you, you do have to put in an effort every once in awhile.

First excerpts from the Meditation: "Loving - Kindness Meditation - Forgiveness"

"Have forgiveness in your heart for anything you think you've done wrong . Forgive yourself for all the past omissions and commissions. They are long gone. Understand that you were a different person and this one is forgiving that one that you were. Feel that forgiveness filling you and enveloping you with a sense of warmth and ease."

&

"Think of any one person, or any situation, or any group of people whom you are condemning, blaming, disliking. Forgive them, completely. Let your forgiveness be your expression of unconditional love. They may not do the right things. Human beings have dukkha. And your heart needs the forgiveness in order to have purity of love."

Second excerpts from the blog post "Buddha on Forgiveness, Reconciliation, and Right & Wrong"

These quotes are however direct teachings of Buddha

“These two are fools. Which two? The one who doesn’t see his/her transgression as a transgression, and the one who doesn’t rightfully pardon another who has confessed his/her transgression. These two are fools."

“These two are wise. Which two? The one who sees his/her transgression as a transgression, and the one who rightfully pardons another who has confessed his/her transgression. These two are wise.”

&

"When you forgive me for harming you, you decide not to retaliate, to seek no revenge. You don’t have to like me. You simply unburden yourself of the weight of resentment and cut the cycle of retribution that would otherwise keep us ensnarled in an ugly samsaric wrestling match. This is a gift you can give us both, totally on your own, without my having to know or understand what you’ve done."

I'm no sudden philosopher, just a misguided person, as are most of us. Someone told me recently that I should take this time to reflect,  and not only am I doing that but I am seeking ways in which to better my life, enrich my life, be happy with myself, in my life.

Sharing is caring in this instance and I can only hope that this blog post, these excerpts, even the full articles have an impact on anyone else that may happen to read them, as they have for me.

Shanti