Multiple Dimensions of Forgiveness

I will put it a different way. How about having an attitude towards life, including people and events, that gives you no reason to ever have to forgive anyone or anything? That is becuase you never take any offense with others or events. Therefore you don't get upset or angry with anything that happens in your world or the world in general. Then there is nothing to forgive in the first place and all is harmonous in your life. I believe it is a good way to live and anyone can live in peace and harmony with all.

Hi Again, We seem to be bumping into each a lot more these days. Thank you for the acknowlegment of my original posting on this at the Perspectives site. In my view our ability to forgive is easier as we develop a capacity to understand and accept differences. In most religious/spiritual teachings there are common and Universal truths that can apply to any theology. One of the main tenaments in any religion...is an invitation to know our Creator...and embody Source's attribtues. From there we can choose to align ourselves with Source and become a co-creative force of Love and Light on this plane...if we decide to go that route. Some do not. However if we could do our best to express the attrubytes of our Creator there would be enough unconditional love to resolve all our human rights concerns. However, it is clear we have a long way to go in that department. With love as the foundation of our Being, it eventually becomes easier to accept, to understand, honor differences...and of course to forgive. If our Creator did not want each of us to learn how to find the light...shadows and darkness would never have been created. We need to have an opposite to CHOOSE from. From my perspective our Creator has such an unconditional capacity for love that we were given the unencumbered right of free will to the point that human beings can even choose not to believe in Source's existance if they choose to. To me that says volumes about unconditional love...acceptance and forgivenss. You said you wanted to explore the dimensions of forgiveness...well here is another dimension. Not being able to forgive keeps us stuck in the past. Until we learn how to detach from the past it makes it difficult to eliminate the suffering that still exists in this world. Forgiveness takes us to a different place. Think about all the people who are fighting wars...cultural wars, religious wars, political wars...you name it...many of them are fighting and killing in the name of their traditions. They are taught from birth that they must beleive as their ancestors believed...and this logic often perpetuates the suffering. Consider how many of these battles between ethnic groups have been going on for thousands of years...and to what end. Without forgivenss and detachment from the past and its horrendous events the cycle will continue. There is no religion that I know of that says...go kill your brethern in the name of God. No Creator with any amnount of unconditional love and acceptance would ever set that down as a decree...but many who claim to be the truthsayers have put the lies in place to serve their own purposes. All too often we particpate in attachement to the past when we attempt to determine for others what their path SHOULD be...from our perspective...rather than honoring their decisions as our Creator honors our right to choose. Another level of forgivenss is the healthy, liberating freedom that always follows afterwards. Detaching from the past...no matter what has occured (like the women in my post who forgave the murderer of her child) allows us to be free. Forgiveness for atrocities also becomes easier if there is a belief in Divine Justice...and I do believe that because of what I see in the 'what goes around comes around' principle in life on this plane. There is within psyics and metaphysics..a law of cause and effect..or the law of attraction..that cannot be denied. Sooner or later those who have done the most harm will have to come to terms with the cause and effect of their choices. Forgiveness comes when that reality sinks in...and we are able to accept that it is not our job to force accountability or attempt to control others...that will work itself out eventually in Divine Retribution or the Law of Attraction. Personally I absolutely believe in the Divine Order within our Universe...it is evident everywhere where we look. Consequently, I believe the multiple dimensions of forgiveness is one of the pathways to achieving greater enlightenment while we are here. Within the detachemt from energetic ties to the past comes a fuller comprehension that love is for the giving...not the taking. As we develop a capacity for greater love and forgivenss within ourselves...and our lives...more of it comes back to us. One final thing in this discussion about forgiveness...forgiving does not mean that we condone the behavior. Nor does it mean the person should not be held accountable. Without the systems we have in place (as distorted as they may be at times) society would fall into anarchy. Forgiveness in the context I am speaking is how we choose to grow our own souls within the collective Onesong. When I speak of detachment in human relationships I am not suggesting that there is a absence of caring or concern. Forgivenss is simply a choice we make...it is ours and ours alone. Some circumstances in life are horrific, unfair, unjust...and we often do not have any control over them and feel 'victimized.' We have all had that happen in one form or another. Some much worse than others...but still victimized. Having said that..we still can choose HOW we will react, respond, hold or to or realease the energy around the event. An inability to forgive keeps us hostage and often hostile. Whereas forgiveness liberates and provides the inner peace that comes from acceptance about what cannot be changed. The prayer of serenity says it all...God give me the wisdom to accept what cannot be changed, to change what I can...and the wisdom to know the difference. (Slight paraprhase there..but the message is clear.) Yes, I agree there are many dimensions to forgiveness. The capacity to forgive involves being willing to suspend value judgments about others and learning to relate to them form a postion of love rather than trying to control or judge them. No one knows for sure why others make the choices they do...and we never will until we all walk a mile in each other's shoes. Until we do that...our judgments of others and their actions will always be filtered through our own beliefs about right and wrong. In my experience perception is the worst filter because whether we will admit it or not...we all have a bias and it is founded on our beliefs. Opposing beliefs do not unify..they polarize..and that makes forgiveness a difficult thing to achieve. Multiple dimensions to forgiveness...you bet! But one can still choose to do it. Of course, as always...this is just my perspective.

well if you read my responce to her I am not up to forgiviny him at all and he will never have a chance to ask me I just left it all behind. Saying out of sight out of mind!

I agree with you... what's the point of bearing a grudge against somebody you care for. It makes you as miserable as it makes them, and I feel it's much better to forgive and move on, for everybody concerned. Also, I feel the act of apology is just as important as forgiving. It says a lot for your character. Brightest Blessings.

By forgiving, I have only one dimension - and that is to forget. When I forgive, I forget all that has happened and continue talking to the person whom I have forgiven. Even when the incident is mentioned again, there are no more emotions attached and I am at ease with it.

Forgive, that word falls into the same catagory as God bless. Nobody ever forgives they just ajust and try to forget. People are so full of crap that it is a wonder that this planet does not look like a giant cow pie.

I don't define or have very complicated notions about forgiving. For me, it's just a religious command that "forgiveness is better while revenge is not unfair." That explains it. By taking revenge, you might do justice but you won't make a difference to the world. By forgiving you do, and it gives you control over yourself as well, changes the way you look at things. You become more positive and therefore, more beneficial to yourself as well as to the people areound you.

I agree with Lakota. I try and just put things in the past. I can forgive as long as it doesn't happen again. That is an issue I have. You don't mean "I'm sorry" if you are going to do it again. But I am willing to put it behind me, depending on who the person is. I have had people stop talking to me completely, in most cases for reasons I don't know because nothing was ever said. I just had to assume the reason and realize that they could not forgive and forget. And when they do that, how can I forget? In the case of my husband, I get a lot of "I'm sorry"s that are empty because I know he will do it again, but because I love him and for the sake of my marriage, I am willing to put it behind me. I can't say I forget because I don't forget anything. As Dr. Phil says, women have long memories. I will forgive for the sake of a relationship or friendship, but I don't think I could ever forget, especially if the incident is repeated.

As I see it, TGWB, ther is no great mystery to the act of forgiving. You simply have to say the words-and mean them.