Life is all infusing, all sustaining; all encompassing in its oneness. It is limitless and infinite. This is a fact that is realised by all in whom consciousness is awakened and have the touch/the glow of life.
Yet the Laws of life are exact and undeviating as is the law of Karma, which we know about at a physical level; as the law of action/reaction, or the law of balance. This is in depth the law of compassion - the Law of harmony that brings order from within out.
The laws of life are, however, far from straightforward, but they are the laws of consciousness, so they can be understood by Man's inner nature as he allows it to awaken.
Life is utterly fluid, resistless yet irresistible. being utterly penetrating. Form or Matter on the other hand - as we know so well - can be very resistant, hard and rigid.
It is the same with man, when he is stuck in form as a materialist and lives a life of conformity and reaction. His ways tend to be hard and rigid and his outlook very caught up and limited. He is dominated and fixed by his worldly values.
Whereas the spiritual or awakened man has the give of life and being utterly fluid in his outlook and approach to life, is able to live by natures Laws. Can we likewise be in that flow of life? The answer is definitely, yes... provided we are willing to change according to what is needed (not what we think is needed). It means letting go of our hang-ups, our rigid attachment to our ideas and beliefs, however cherished. It means seeing through the veils of existence to nature's underlying truths, and if we are really going to be resilient with life it means giving up our unfinished business with ourselves and others. It means actually accepting responsibility for our lives. This fluid approach that can graciously allow people to be themselves without judging them. We have such an allowing enabling spirit for forgiveness, when we are at one with life. Then we are resistantly fluid, resilient with life. We are free of selfcenteredness, free of our own restricting opinions and no longer have an 'axe to grind'.
Although forgiveness is simply letting go and letting life flow, this work on forgiveness can be very hard especially for some who need it greatly, but very worthwhile... provided we keep at it long enough.
Forgiving is a creative use of the mind that can be deeply healing. Indeed, forgiveness is in essence a miracle worker! The spirit, the give of it, enables the dying man to confront 'the unfinished symphony' of his life easily. Such forgiveness acts like a lubricant which allows or holds on life to slip lightly away.
To put it more specifically, basically in Stephen Levine's words in "Healing into Life & Death'...
Before we are fully able to just be mindful of heavy feelings such as fear or guilt, to just let them be without the least tendency ti cling or condemn, it may well be necessary to deepen the practice of forgiveness - to actualise, the potential for letting go that the openhanded acceptance of forgiveness offers upon meeting the gavel-fisted judgement of often unkind mind.
Cultivating forgiveness daily softens our life. It is the cultivation in the mind of the spaciousness of the heart.
The traditional manner of practicing forgiveness is to first extend it to someone for whom you have some resentment and to touch with them with the possibility of forgiveness. Secondly, you picture another who is unforgiving towards you, and you reach out with an openness to be forgiven and a willingness to let go of unfinished business of the past, which separated you. Then lastly, forgiveness is sent to oneself. Truly we have been waiting our whole life to hear " I love you' in our voice.
One cannot deeply receive love from another until they have received it from themselves. Indeed, the Budda said that no matter how hard one searched, one could not find anyone in the Universe more needing of love than oneself... and do we not tend to begrudge love for ourselves?
The practice of forgiveness opens the mind to the natural compassion of the heart. Practiced daily, it allows ancient clingings to be remembered and dissolved. But in the beginning forgiveness may have something of an odd quality about it. One needs to first recognise that guilt arises uninvited. It is important to use forgiveness not as a means of squashing guilt, but as a means of dissolving obstructions. At first one may feel they did nothing wrong, so why ask for or send forgiveness. But emotions are not rational; they have a life of their own. We ask for forgiveness and offer forgiveness not because of some imagined wrong doing, but because we no longer wish to carry the load of our resentments and guilts. To allow the mind to sink into the heart. To let go and get on with living.
If at first forgiveness feels a little awkward, please remember that forgiveness is not a condoning of the unskillful act which has caused injury, but a touching of the actor with mercy and loving kindness. We cannot condone rape, but we may in time be able to touch the rapist with some understanding, lessening our own fear, opening our life a bit more. Forgiveness benefits oneself, not just another.
Forgiveness finishes or ends unfinished business by letting go of the armoury which separates one heart from another. As one teacher said, 'As long as there are two there is unfinished business. When the two become one, the heart whispers to itself in every direction'.
In the deepest stages of forgiveness, one finds there is no 'other' to send forgiveness toward, but just a sense of sharing. Then as in unconditional love, there is not forgiveness for another but forgiveness with another.
Many years ago, during a very difficult time in my life, sitting very alone by a pond in a redwood forest practicing the forgiveness meditation, the practicer disappeared, and all became forgiveness; the trees were forgiveness, the boulders, the pond, the salamander crawling across my sneaker. The world became an all accepting love. And in my mind a voice whispered that I was forgiven for everything I have ever done, to which my mind responded, 'Oh, but that's not possible, there has been so much'. To which the heart replied, 'You are completely forgiven, it is all done. If you want to pick it up again, that's up to you. But it's all yours from now on'. How difficult it was to accept, to allow such an enormous forgiveness into my heart and how healing!
A way to the warmth, the caring of total self acceptance. Reflect for a moment on that quality we call forgiveness. Bring into your mind, actually into your heart, the image of someone for whom you have much resentment. Take a moment to feel that person right there at the centre of your chest in the heart centre.
And in your heart say to that person, 'I forgive you for anything you may have done in the past, either intentionally or unintentionally, through your thoughts, words or actions that caused me pain. I forgive you'.
Slowly allow that person to settle into you heart.
Don't judge yourself for how difficult it is.
No force, just opening slowly to them at your own pace.
Say to them, 'I forgive you. I forgive you for the pain you caused me in the past, intentionally or unintentionally, through your thoughts, your deeds, your words. I forgive you'.
Gently, gently open to them. If it hurts, let it hurt. Gradually open to that person. That resentment, that incredible anger, even if it burns, ever so gently though. Forgiveness.
'I forgive you'.
Let your heart open to them.
It is so painful to hold someone out of your heart.
'I forgive you'.
Let your heart open just a bit more to them. Just a moment of opening, of forgiveness, letting go of resentment.
Allow them to be forgiven.
Now opening more to forgiveness, bring into your heart the image of someone from whom you wish to ask forgiveness.
Speak to them in your heart. 'I ask your forgiveness for anything I may have done in the past that caused you pain, either by my thoughts or my actions or my words. Even for those things I didn't intend to cause you pain, I ask for your forgiveness'.
'For all those words that were said out of forgetfulness or fear. Out of my closedness, out of my confusion. I ask for forgiveness'.
Don't allow any resentment you hold for yourself to block your reception of that forgiveness. Let your heart soften to it. Allow yourself to be forgiven.
Let yourself be freed.
Let that unworthiness come up, that anger at yourself – let it all fall away.
Let it all go.
Open to the possibility of forgiveness.
'I ask your forgiveness for whatever I may have done in the past that caused you pain. By the way I acted or spoke or thought, I ask your forgiveness'.
It is so painful to hold yourself out of your heart. Bring yourself into your heart. Say ' I forgive you', to yourself. Don't reject yourself.
Using your own first name, in your heart say, 'I forgive you'. Open to that. Let it be. Make room in your heart for yourself.
'I forgive you'.
All those resentments, let them fall away.
Open to the self-forgiveness. Let yourself have some space.
Let go of that bitterness, that hardness, that judgement of yourself.
Say 'I forgive you' to you.
Let some glimmering of loving kindness be directed toward yourself. Allow your heart to open to you. Let that light, that care for yourself, grow.
Self-forgiveness.
Watch how thoughts of unworthiness and fears of being self indulgent try to block the possibility of once and for all letting go of that hardening.
See the freedom in self-forgiveness. How can you hold that pain even a moment longer?
Feel that place of love and enter into it. Allow yourself the compassion, the care, of self-forgiveness. Let yourself float gently in the open heart of understanding, of forgiveness, and peace.
Feel how hard it is for us to love ourselves. Feel the pain on the hearts of all those caught in confusion. Forgive them, forgive yourself, let go gently of the pain that hides the immensity of your love.
From “Who Dies” by Stephen Levine.
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