Difference between revisions of "Quotes About Forgiveness"
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== Excerpts == | == Excerpts == | ||
"How can you see the need for [the process of unburdening] until you have seen again and again the debilitating effects of being bound to old [[ideas]], old [[relationships]], old interests and old activities that no longer represent you. You must see the effects of having your memory cast over you like a great shadow--darkening your skies, haunting you, hounding you and following you wherever you go. You can forgive these things because you can release them. If you cannot release them, you cannot forgive them. What is forgiveness but release? How can you release something if you are still holding onto it? The only way to release something is to go where it is not needed, where you cannot take it with you and where it has no relevance and no importance." | "How can you see the need for [the process of unburdening] until you have seen again and again the debilitating effects of being bound to old [[ideas]], old [[relationships]], old interests and old activities that no longer represent you. You must see the effects of having your memory cast over you like a great shadow--darkening your skies, haunting you, hounding you and following you wherever you go. You can forgive these things because you can release them. If you cannot release them, you cannot forgive them. What is forgiveness but release? How can you release something if you are still holding onto it? The only way to release something is to go where it is not needed, where you cannot take it with you and where it has no relevance and no importance." | ||
| − | <ref> | + | <ref>[[Greater Community Spirituality]], Chapter 13</ref> |
"Real forgiveness is a process of transforming something old into something new, something that was useless into something that is useful, something that is meaningless into something that is meaningful. Here your [[mistakes]], instead of being a source of pain and inner discomfort for you, become a means of reaching other people, for everyone has made mistakes, and many people have made the same ones that you have. This becomes a way to reach people. 'I made this mistake. This is what I learned. And this is what I am doing with it now.' What a beautiful teaching this is. How gracious this is and how important it is for the listener and for the communicator as well." | "Real forgiveness is a process of transforming something old into something new, something that was useless into something that is useful, something that is meaningless into something that is meaningful. Here your [[mistakes]], instead of being a source of pain and inner discomfort for you, become a means of reaching other people, for everyone has made mistakes, and many people have made the same ones that you have. This becomes a way to reach people. 'I made this mistake. This is what I learned. And this is what I am doing with it now.' What a beautiful teaching this is. How gracious this is and how important it is for the listener and for the communicator as well." | ||
| − | <ref> | + | <ref>[[Living The Way of Knowledge]], Chapter 2</ref> |
"Here you must understand what forgiveness really is. Forgiveness is not forgetting. Forgiveness is not overlooking difficulties you have had with people in the past, for that becomes emotionally and intellectually dishonest. You cannot make something good that was not good without deceiving yourself and becoming dishonest regarding your feelings. Forgiveness here must be something that enables you to see another person clearly and to derive learning from that experience, from that relationship." | "Here you must understand what forgiveness really is. Forgiveness is not forgetting. Forgiveness is not overlooking difficulties you have had with people in the past, for that becomes emotionally and intellectually dishonest. You cannot make something good that was not good without deceiving yourself and becoming dishonest regarding your feelings. Forgiveness here must be something that enables you to see another person clearly and to derive learning from that experience, from that relationship." | ||
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“Knowledge dispels unforgiveness like the light dispels the darkness. For there is only Knowledge and the need for Knowledge. That is all that you can possibly perceive in the universe.” | “Knowledge dispels unforgiveness like the light dispels the darkness. For there is only Knowledge and the need for Knowledge. That is all that you can possibly perceive in the universe.” | ||
| − | <ref> | + | <ref>[[Steps to Knowledge]], Step 207</ref> |
“Be grateful for those who demonstrate your need for Knowledge. Be grateful for those who teach you that it is hopeless to engage in any pursuit in the world without Knowledge. Be grateful for those who save you time by demonstrating the result of things you are contemplating for yourself even now….Be grateful for all those who seem to err against you, for they will show you what is necessary in your life and they will remind you that Knowledge is your one true purpose, your one true goal and your one true expression. In this all who err against you become your friends, for even in their misery they serve you and will call upon you to serve them.” | “Be grateful for those who demonstrate your need for Knowledge. Be grateful for those who teach you that it is hopeless to engage in any pursuit in the world without Knowledge. Be grateful for those who save you time by demonstrating the result of things you are contemplating for yourself even now….Be grateful for all those who seem to err against you, for they will show you what is necessary in your life and they will remind you that Knowledge is your one true purpose, your one true goal and your one true expression. In this all who err against you become your friends, for even in their misery they serve you and will call upon you to serve them.” | ||
| − | <ref> | + | <ref>Steps to Knowledge, Step 291</ref> |
“There is not one person in the world who cannot give you something beneficial if you will not judge them. There is not one person in the world who, through their accomplishments or their errors, cannot confirm the importance of [[Knowledge]] and cannot demonstrate its need in the world. Thus it is that those whom you love and those whom you despise all offer gifts to you of equal value.” | “There is not one person in the world who cannot give you something beneficial if you will not judge them. There is not one person in the world who, through their accomplishments or their errors, cannot confirm the importance of [[Knowledge]] and cannot demonstrate its need in the world. Thus it is that those whom you love and those whom you despise all offer gifts to you of equal value.” | ||
| − | <ref> | + | <ref>Steps to Knowledge, Step 324</ref> |
“The ghosts will haunt your house as long as they are allowed to be there. And they will be there as long as you create a place for them.” | “The ghosts will haunt your house as long as they are allowed to be there. And they will be there as long as you create a place for them.” | ||
| − | <ref> | + | <ref>Steps to Knowledge Continuation Training, Step 10</ref> |
“Thus it is when you are complete in this life, you will leave, but you will not leave alone, for in your heart you will embrace the memory and the presence and the reality of all those whom you have touched and who have touched you and there will not be any spot or residue, not even any hint, of unforgiveness that will remain behind you to spoil your gift and your giving. This is what it means to complete your work in the world.” | “Thus it is when you are complete in this life, you will leave, but you will not leave alone, for in your heart you will embrace the memory and the presence and the reality of all those whom you have touched and who have touched you and there will not be any spot or residue, not even any hint, of unforgiveness that will remain behind you to spoil your gift and your giving. This is what it means to complete your work in the world.” | ||
| − | <ref> | + | <ref>Steps to Knowledge Continuation Training</ref> |
“Why is forgiveness such a relief? Because it lets your mind open and relax. Why is forgiveness so difficult to accomplish? Because you are afraid to go beyond.” | “Why is forgiveness such a relief? Because it lets your mind open and relax. Why is forgiveness so difficult to accomplish? Because you are afraid to go beyond.” | ||
| − | <ref> | + | <ref>Wisdom from the Greater Community Volume One, Chapter 23</ref> |
==References== | ==References== | ||
Revision as of 04:34, 30 August 2013
"Your spiritual work must fundamentally deal with the issue of resolution and forgiveness." [1]
Directives
"You are entering a time where great forgiveness must be exercised and where a new understanding of forgiveness must be presented and emphasized and supported." [2]
"Compassion arises naturally when you recognize the humanity and the reality of another person or a whole nation of people. If you find yourself having a critical or condemning attitude towards a nation of people or a group of people, you should go visit them and talk to them and hear about their experience and understand why their point of view has arisen given their circumstances and their history." [2]
"Your judgments, your reactions, your unforgiveness, your attitudes, your beliefs—all these things stand in the way of your being present to yourself, to others and to the world. And so you must gain freedom from these things within yourself and within your relationships." [3]
Excerpts
"How can you see the need for [the process of unburdening] until you have seen again and again the debilitating effects of being bound to old ideas, old relationships, old interests and old activities that no longer represent you. You must see the effects of having your memory cast over you like a great shadow--darkening your skies, haunting you, hounding you and following you wherever you go. You can forgive these things because you can release them. If you cannot release them, you cannot forgive them. What is forgiveness but release? How can you release something if you are still holding onto it? The only way to release something is to go where it is not needed, where you cannot take it with you and where it has no relevance and no importance." [4]
"Real forgiveness is a process of transforming something old into something new, something that was useless into something that is useful, something that is meaningless into something that is meaningful. Here your mistakes, instead of being a source of pain and inner discomfort for you, become a means of reaching other people, for everyone has made mistakes, and many people have made the same ones that you have. This becomes a way to reach people. 'I made this mistake. This is what I learned. And this is what I am doing with it now.' What a beautiful teaching this is. How gracious this is and how important it is for the listener and for the communicator as well." [5]
"Here you must understand what forgiveness really is. Forgiveness is not forgetting. Forgiveness is not overlooking difficulties you have had with people in the past, for that becomes emotionally and intellectually dishonest. You cannot make something good that was not good without deceiving yourself and becoming dishonest regarding your feelings. Forgiveness here must be something that enables you to see another person clearly and to derive learning from that experience, from that relationship." [1]
"When you begin to experience forgiveness at this level, your whole demeanor will change. Instead of feeling restraint and inability within yourself, you will feel open and powerful. Creativity will return to you. You will be able to see other people clearly and compassionately for who they are and for where they are. They will no longer simply be symbolic of someone else, a reminder of someone else. You will be able to see them clearly as they are, without condemnation." [1]
"Forgiveness [is] the means by which other people’s lives can teach you something of value and can encourage you to have the strength and the commitment and the wisdom to choose and to accept the gift of a greater purpose in life." [1]
“Forgiveness requires a recognition of another and their humanity … it is feeling another person’s condition. Here compassion arises naturally when you recognize the humanity and the reality of another person or a whole nation of people. If you find yourself having a critical or condemning attitude towards a nation of people or a group of people, you should go visit them and talk to them and hear about their experience and understand why their point of view has arisen given their circumstances and their history.
“It is easy to condemn, but it takes real work to understand. It is easy to dismiss others, label them, reject them, cast them away, or consider them worthy of punishment. That is easy. That is following the voice of condemnation within yourself. But to really understand someone else and their circumstances, that is difficult.... “So forgiveness has to start with recognizing the humanity of others and exerting the effort to understand why people do what they do, what drives people to do things that are even wicked or tragic. And when you see that you have that same potential within yourself, you become more circumspect, and you are able to withhold condemnation.” [2]
“Unforgiveness is merely the application of blame towards a situation in which you are unable to understand or to apply Knowledge. All your failures are your own in this respect. This may look like a burden of blame at first, until you realize the greater opportunity that it presents to you. For if all failures are your own, then you will realize that all correction is given to you to apply. The failure of another is not your own, but your condemnation of it is your own failure. Therefore, any failure that engenders unforgiveness in you is your failure, for another’s failure need not at all engender unforgiveness in you nor blame of any kind. In fact, the failures of others can engender your compassion and the application of Knowledge in the future and need not give rise to blame or unhappiness within you....
“Knowledge dispels unforgiveness like the light dispels the darkness. For there is only Knowledge and the need for Knowledge. That is all that you can possibly perceive in the universe.” [6]
“Be grateful for those who demonstrate your need for Knowledge. Be grateful for those who teach you that it is hopeless to engage in any pursuit in the world without Knowledge. Be grateful for those who save you time by demonstrating the result of things you are contemplating for yourself even now….Be grateful for all those who seem to err against you, for they will show you what is necessary in your life and they will remind you that Knowledge is your one true purpose, your one true goal and your one true expression. In this all who err against you become your friends, for even in their misery they serve you and will call upon you to serve them.” [7]
“There is not one person in the world who cannot give you something beneficial if you will not judge them. There is not one person in the world who, through their accomplishments or their errors, cannot confirm the importance of Knowledge and cannot demonstrate its need in the world. Thus it is that those whom you love and those whom you despise all offer gifts to you of equal value.” [8]
“The ghosts will haunt your house as long as they are allowed to be there. And they will be there as long as you create a place for them.” [9]
“Thus it is when you are complete in this life, you will leave, but you will not leave alone, for in your heart you will embrace the memory and the presence and the reality of all those whom you have touched and who have touched you and there will not be any spot or residue, not even any hint, of unforgiveness that will remain behind you to spoil your gift and your giving. This is what it means to complete your work in the world.” [10]
“Why is forgiveness such a relief? Because it lets your mind open and relax. Why is forgiveness so difficult to accomplish? Because you are afraid to go beyond.” [11]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Healing Relationships (September 9, 2008)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 The New Message on Forgiveness (October 14, 2008)
- ↑ The Freedom Journey (March 2, 2011)
- ↑ Greater Community Spirituality, Chapter 13
- ↑ Living The Way of Knowledge, Chapter 2
- ↑ Steps to Knowledge, Step 207
- ↑ Steps to Knowledge, Step 291
- ↑ Steps to Knowledge, Step 324
- ↑ Steps to Knowledge Continuation Training, Step 10
- ↑ Steps to Knowledge Continuation Training
- ↑ Wisdom from the Greater Community Volume One, Chapter 23