To err is human, to forgive divine.”
It is a great quality of the heart to overlook the wrong done to you. In your class, a friend may insult you by calling you bad names and you pay him back in the same coins. It may not be all right for both of you pay him back in the same coins. It may not be all right for both of you because a spirit of ‘tit for tat’ further fuels the fire and creates a chain reaction. It will create a lot of ill will between both of you.
On the other hand, if you forgive him, you’ll show that you are far superior to him in controlling your anger against him by forgiving him. No one has the power to forgive him. No one has the power to forgive your enemy but yourself. This is the positive reaction. This will endear you to your enemy. He will feel ashamed of his action and sorry for his behavior and this will change his heart. It will make the receiver happy and earn you a lasting happiness.
Forgiveness endears one human being to another. It makes the receiver remember and feel grateful to one who forgives. Only generous people can do it because they are forget. They do not hold a grudge or keep hatred in their hearts. They bear sorrows without any murmur against anyone. Such people are the great people of the world.
Swami Dayanand Saraswati was poisoned by his opponents, but he forgave them. Christ was crucified but he never wanted his enemies to hanged. Mahatma Gandhi was once attacked in South Africa, but he forgave his enemy.
Once Buddha was poisoned by certain persons who did not like his preaching. He was asked by Ananda, a close disciple, to take action against those men by reporting to the king about it. But he refused to do so saying “Our faith differs much from Theirs, Ananda. Let us forgive them by saying that they would reap the harvest of their own actions.” Saying this Buddha departed from the place. However, the men apologized to Buddha and became virtuous men. Buddha blesses them. Thus, forgiveness changed the course of their lives.
Great people believe in the spirit of giving their enemies. This is a God- like glory which only great people display. People with narrow mind find it hard to understand this. They’ll waste their energy in revengeful thoughts which consumes them more than hurting and hearing the enemy. They do not understand that forgiving can be as beautiful as praying, for it gives peace of mind and makes everyone happy.
It is very difficult to bear provocation, but to forgive is a sign of a great mind. One can achieve it with constant practice. Every time you are provoked, try to let the moment pass and your feeling of retaliation subside, so that you can act with a peaceful mind.
Consider that some time or the other, a very good friend may have let you down, at another time you may have a valuable article, a playmate may have broken your best toy, or you may be harmed in some way. What happens to you then?
You get angry and provoked to retaliate. You flare up and you are prepared to do anything wrong to the person who has harmed you. Sometimes you are so nasty in taking revenge that you may not have enough time to judge him correctly. At this time, one is inclined to punish the wrongdoer severely, even though the extent of the damage done is not so great.
You may over – react which itself is very bad. Anger itself is very bad. Sometimes people commit murders and suicides. This is done all in anger. Anger causes hatred, bitterness and creates enemies.
Forgiveness, ion the other hand, teaches you self – control and makes you a complete master of yourself. You conquer hearts without use of any unkind words or unseemly actions. You earn goodwill and surprise your enemy by your large – heartedness. He feels so small that sometimes to ask for your forgiveness becomes a tall order for him. By your positive reaction you make him realize the senselessness of his behaviour. He feels chastened and above all, it makes him realize his mistake.
“ He who has not forgiven an enemy
Has never yet tasted one of the
Most sublime enjoyments of life.
Forgive many things in others,
Nothing in yourself.”