Forgiveness

Where Do We Go From Here?

We are living in profoundly turbulent times, though, we are not bound by them. Rather, we are the source and substance of our own experience.

And it is only through great compassion, both for ourselves and others, that we may begin to understand and subsequently weather through the influence of our fears.

This most recent wave of violence has touched many hearts. Likewise, it has marked the full weight of our despair. We feel powerless to help, yet still we try.

Why?

Because, in our heart we know what must be done.

We must be willing to look within, to disentangle the complexity of our feelings from the greater need. The world is under siege, but we – we are its legacy. Even when we are not yet ready.

There is a poem written by Desmond and Mpho Tutu; one which extends an invitation to heal.

“I want to be willing to forgive
But I dare not ask for the will to forgive
In case you give it to me
And I am not yet ready
I am not yet ready for my heart to soften
I am not yet ready to be vulnerable again
Not yet ready to see that there is humanity in my tormentor’s eyes
Or that the one who hurt me may also have cried
I am at the prayer before the prayer of forgiveness
I am not yet ready for the journey
I am not yet interested in the path
Grant me the will to want to forgive
Grant it to me not yet but soon.”

The anger and horror that we feel is a slow poison, further isolating and robbing us of our peace. We are locked in the nightmare, until we awaken.

Though we may not yet be ready to forgive – the capacity is always there…and that’s what binds us as humans.

In peace, my sweet friends…

Namaste ❣️

On Beginning Anew.

When I was a little girl, I remember stealing a piece of penny candy from a local grocery shop. I was too young to understand that what I had done was ‘wrong’ – not until years later, that is, when I overheard a group of older boys talking about a similar scenario.

“That’s shoplifting,” I remember one shouting. “You could go to jail for that!”

From that moment on, my innocence was tainted. I felt guilty and shamed, so much so, that I eventually returned to the ‘scene of my crime’ to offer the shopkeeper my apology. Of course, I was in my twenties at the time and the shop had already changed hands several times.

“Everyone makes mistakes,” the manager said. “Why not just forget about it and let it go?”

Beginning anew is a fundament practice in our Buddhist teachings. It helps to engage and ultimately set free the burdens we carry. But, more so – it grants us permission.

As Thich Nhat Hanh once described;

“Beginning Anew is not to ask for forgiveness. Beginning Anew is to change your mind and heart, to transform the ignorance that brought about wrong actions of body, speech, and mind, and to help you cultivate your mind of love.”

In this mind of love, we begin to disentangle the countless aspects of our suffering. And all hinderances dissolve in the wake of forgiveness.

I, alone, helped to construct the condition. And, only I could help to clear it away.

A little something to remember, my friends.

In peace…

Namaste ❤️

Finding Our Forgiveness.

I remember the first time I hurt my mother’s heart. I was six years old, and in a tantrum-fueled moment I cried, “I don’t like you anymore.”

Of course, it wasn’t true – but at such a young age I was limited in my ability to trace suffering to cause. I was furious, yes – but I was also tired, hungry and completely agitated.

Her response was brilliant: “That’s ok,” she smiled, “I’ve got love enough for two.”

She knew what it meant to forgive; that it wasn’t a sign of weakness rather a truer measure of courage. Only love can bring about the peace we all desire.

Yet still we hold on. We linger within the explosiveness of the initial upset, but also within the frayed emotions that continue in its wake.

And sadly, even when presented with this blessing of forgiveness – we are hesitant to receive it.

Do we not feel worthy of another’s love?

There is one commonality amongst us all – each of us has felt the sharp sting of betrayal, and each of us has at some point harmed another.

Does this truth make us less deserving? Does is obfuscate the path to healing?

Not at all.

Rather, it simply allows us to move forward in our own way. Free from the bindings of a seemingly inescapable hurt.

A little something to consider, my friends ~

In peace, and with much love…

Namaste ❤

This Blessing of Being.

Maya Angelou once spoke of forgiveness, that it was the greatest gift that we might ever share. “Love recognizes no barriers,” she said. “It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.”

And, hope is what we need most of all.

Hope is the catalyst for shared understanding. It is the empathy we see reflected in another’s eyes. It serves us in our quest for humanity; to reach through where otherwise disinclined. As grief threatens to force Freedom’s wings, hope begs Soul’s liberation.

“I am grateful to have been loved and to be loved now,” she once said. “And, to be able to love, because – that liberates. Love liberates. It doesn’t just hold; that’s ego. Love liberates.”

My darlings, today this message couldn’t be clearer.

There’s been much in the press regarding the separation of heart from human; questions raised as to the viability of an everlasting peace. But, there is a sense of boldness inferred – a request to raise compassion over ego. And, forgiveness – our primary obstacle.

To forgive is to lessen this burden; to free our hearts to contemplate what might be – rather, than holding tightly to that which has passed.

On this day, I wish to share an inspiration through video; and the blessing of always ‘doing right.’

In peace…

Namaste ♥