Forgiveness is a stronger agent than punishment, or resentment, or fear, and a stronger agent than greed, or injustice, or anger. Forgiveness involves changing the outside into the inside and correcting the inside into the outside. Love Means Accepting Yourself. This is the key to forgiveness, which teaches us to accept ourselves. We are all in need of love. If we have repressed it, then we have been being in pain, and the only way to move on is by purging the pain. I've learned to forgive myself for learning to forgive others. Forgiveness is what helps me to understand my experiences
We cannnot change the past and misunderstandings . Therefore, we can't simply apologize. We can't simply say "I'm sorry." Instead, we can try to make amends by setting a new example for the person who harmed us. A key to self-acceptance is to have a positive attitude towards those who have hurt us. A positive attitude gives us the space to improve ourselves and the ability to forgive ourselves. Just because a person has caused us harm doesn't mean that we have to excuse them or suffer in silence.
We are the ones with freedom, but without the freedom to face what has happened to us, not to blame, and not to forgive. We are the ones suffering from false repression, the fear of abuse, and the suffering that comes with hiding this pain. We are the ones with freedom to experience the kind of freedom that allows us to feel comfortable in our own skin and to flourish in life. We are the ones who grow without fear.
Freedom is essential, but only at a cost. We have the freedom to express ourselves, but only if we are free to be hurt and affected by it. We hold onto freedom, because we feel such an obligation to ourselves and our pride as a community. But it has us on the wrong foot. When you sense that someone is asking for your forgiveness, there is something deeper going on here that hurts us more than those around us.
First, forgive yourself. Second, forgive yourself for anything that has happened to you. You may be guilty or innocent but there's no way you could know it. Third, forgive yourself for anyone that you have hurt. Then, if you know of any of your own pain, forgive yourself as well. This is the only way you can heal and get rid of your negative thoughts. It is the only way that we can stop feeling guilty or upset.
And forgiveness helped me find peace in my heart. If I was always unforgiving of myself I would not know how to forgive. I experienced forgiveness as a deep, peaceful feeling that came after suffering a great loss. As I sit with the suffering now I see that it is a suffering that brings me peace and opens up the possibility for transformation. I am so grateful to have found this practice that brings me relief.