Inspirational Texts - Forgiveness

Meditation on Forgiveness

"The practice of a forgiveness meditation is a wonderful way to heal the pain of old hurts that block our hearts and prevent us from trusting and loving ourselves and others. Forgiveness is the key to opening our hearts, to learning from the painful lessons of the past in order to move into the future unhindered."

(Joel Levy)

Make yourself comfortable and close your eyes. Straighten your back, allowing the breath to gently come into the body and to flow out of your body. Feel the breath like a gentle breeze--soft and easy. No control. Just breathing in and breathing out. If the mind should wander, or if you hear a sound outside, just take it in and return to the awareness of your breath, this present moment.

Allow memories and images and emotions to float freely in your mind as you begin this meditation.

First, asking for forgiveness, if I have hurt or harmed anyone in thought, word or deed, knowingly or unknowingly, and I have done so, and in the ways that I have, for I have hurt others, I allow those instances to come into my mind and into my heart and I ask for forgiveness. I have hurt others, but I realize that we only act unskillfully for two reasons--out of our pain and our fear. We then get confused. We hurt others out of this confusion. May I be forgiven, from those that I have hurt or harmed, may I be forgiven. Imagine that this message is received and accepted, and affirm the feeling of healing between you and the other and then let the image melt into space, and return to your breath.

Now towards yourself, because we have been so hard on ourselves, we must forgive ourselves. For to do forgiveness is to soften the barriers around our hearts, to let ourselves into our hearts. So in the ways that I have hurt or harmed myself, this body, this heart, this mind, in all the ways that out of my fear and my pain, my ignorance, my neglect, so many ways I have not cared for you, my sweet self, may I be forgiven. I forgive myself for whatever I have done in the past. I have suffered enough. I have learned and I have grown and I am ready to open my heart to myself. May I be happy. May I be free from my suffering and may I know the joy of truly understanding myself. Affirm the feeling of healing within you. Then let the image melt into space, and return to your breath.

Lastly, the wounds, the sorrows that I have suffered at the hands of others. For I have been touched with such hardness, such resentment, anger, aggression. You, who have hurt or harmed me, knowingly or unknowingly in thought, word or deed, for I have been hurt by many--I allow those instances to come into my mind. But then I remember that it was out of their fear and their pain that created the confusion, that created the hurt. To the extent that I am able, at this time, I extend to you my forgiveness. Feel the places you hold the resentment, the disappointments, the business from the past, and touch those places with kindness and forgiveness and see if it is not time to let go. I forgive you and at the same time I ask you to forgive me for whatever I might have done that has hurt you. May you and I and all of us create the causes for happiness in our lives. May you and I outgrow and transform the causes of our suffering. May you and I come to know the joy of truly understanding and experiencing our interrelationship, one soul to another soul. May we open our hearts and our minds to each other in whatever dimension and meet in harmony. Imagine that this message has also been received and accepted, and affirm the feeling of healing between you and the other Let the image melt into space.

Now return to the awareness of your breathing, breathing in and breathing out. Breathing in love. Breathing out compassion. Return to this room and gently open your eyes.