"The True Meaning of Forgiveness"
Most religions and spiritual paths include some sort of system or expectation of forgiveness. Very often, unfortunately, these ideas of forgiveness include judgement and a sense of victimization: "You are a __________, and you have hurt me, but I forgive you." Someone once said (or maybe oftener) that everything after the word "but" in a sentence is a lie. In this case, I believe that is true. This is not real forgiveness, it is a generosity for the sake of appearing pious for the sake of the other person, the Judge Within, or God -- or all at once.
So what is true forgiveness? What better description could we find than in my new Everything Toltec Wisdom Book. . .??!!
"In the old dream, there is a "forgiveness" that is actually based on personal importance. It says: "You have hurt me, I judge and condemn you, but I am a better person than you, so I will forgive you." There are many variations on this theme, but they all reflect the old dream of wrongdoing, judgment, and victimization. It is not actually forgiveness at all.
When a Toltec Warrior clears an incident with recapitulation, there is no longer any hurt, no perpetrator, and no victim. The entire incident is released. There is no need to forgive, because from the eagle's perspective, there is no offense to be punished or forgiven. There is no blame. In the Toltec wisdom, this is the true forgiveness, knowing there is nothing to forgive.
In the story of Jesus, they say he looked down from his cross, and said "Forgive them father, they know not what they do." Isn't this the message of true forgiveness? We are all doing our best, and sometimes we may react to others as though they deliberately hurt or betrayed us. The Toltec Warrior knows that this universe one big system of actions and reactions. Everything is in contact and changing and acting and reacting everywhere in every time.
This forgiveness results from a change of the assemblage point away from victim and perpetrator to the eagle's view of the perfection of the universe. The cleansing power of this truth releases poison from old emotional wounds. When the warrior applies the poultice of self-love to those cleansed wounds, they heal with only the trace of a scar. When someone touches that place, there is no longer a need to protect it, so the warrior can step forward with his arms wide open to embrace the world."
There is no where that one action begins (perpetration) and ends (victimization). Everything is acting on everything else, constantly. In that action/reaction you can see the Divine Perfection of each and every movement in the matrix of our world.
There are many days set aside to focus on Forgiveness. Global Forgiveness Day is on August 27, 2008, World Forgiveness Day is March 3, and October 4, is International Forgiveness Day. If you are not ready to forgive yet, you can always wait until Regular Forgiveness Day, on June 26th. Of course these dates may change depending on what organization is promoting them.
Perhaps every day can be your Personal Forgiveness Day. You can begin with the self-forgiveness that says, "I am always doing my best. I am not bad or wrong. I am the only Me there is, and I am being the perfect Me." From that place of self-acceptance, you can accept not only yourself but all of Creation. After all, Creation is doing its best being itself, too.
You are forgiven.
This post is adapted from my Joydancer Weekly Word and News e-newsletter of August 3, 2007. To subscribe, go to my homepage at www.joydancer.com.
