Easter Sunday cannot have a better message than " Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing". Forgiveness is a virtue that is propagated by all religions and is often followed in the breach. Undoubtedly, it is a virtue easy to preach and difficult to practice. Jesus remains the greatest forgiver of all times.
The spirit of forgiveness has been fostered by appealing to one's self interest in the words of Jonathan Lockwood
" Forgive others,
not because they deserve forgiveness
but because you deserve peace"
Yours truly was once counselled with these words
" Life is short.
Forgive quickly, kiss slowly, love truly, laugh uncontrollably
and never regret anything that made you smile"
This was further strengthened with the words of the apostle of peace, Mahatma Gandhi
William Blake, however, pointed out the human frailty in these words,
" It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend"
Mark Twain invoked nature to drive home the difficulty to forgive as well as the evident cruelty of the wrongdoer in these words
" Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that crushes it"
The Buddha proclaimed
" With gentleness overcome anger.
With generosity overcome meanness.
With truth overcome delusion."
He laid out the three steps to forgive - first is that you have better things to do in life than retaliate. Second is to develop thoughts of indefinite goodwill and third to hold on to the five precepts namely no killing, no stealing, no intoxicants, no lying and no illicit sex.
Desmond Tutu of the South African movement could practice and preach the words
"Forgiveness says you are given another chance to make a new beginning"
This brings to the fabled story in Ramayana where Rama sends Ravana back to return the next day for the final battle. In the Mahabharata the urge to revenge the wrongdoing is epitomized by Draupadi and the ability to forgive generations of wrongdoers is presented in the form of Bhishma.
However, to ensure that the wrongdoers of the world do not have expectations of every other person being as munificent as Jesus or the Buddha, Tony Gaskins has said
" I forgive but I also learn a lesson.
I won't hate you but
will never get close enough for you to hurt me again.
I can't let forgiveness become foolishness"
The art of forgiving of yours truly has only reached thus far and no further.
Thus, the F for forgiveness but do not forget becomes the sixth life lesson in this A to Z in quotes.
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