Global Forgiveness Day

“Life without conflict”, sounds so good! A lifetime goal to be achieved. But in order to achieve this goal, a very small attempt could be made by living our one whole day without conflict – by forgiving and being forgiven by others.

In today’s busy life, day in and out we meet conflicts whether its within ourselves, with our friends, spouse, parents, children etc., with the organization we work in or within the organization with your boss or colleagues or employees. These conflicts arise in our life when we choose to blame or are blamed, convict others or are convicted or carry resent for the flaws or mistakes done by others or by our own selves. There is always another choice – forgiveness. It opens up the door to peace within us and outside in our life.

You might ask, ‘Why will I choose to forgive or ask for forgiveness?’ For this, we need to first understand what forgiveness is exactly.

Generally, forgiving others is understood as letting go of resentment or grudges towards another person who has hurt us. Asking for forgiveness is for hurting or for some wrongdoing we have done to someone else.

As per Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan, forgiveness is asked for the mistakes or the hurt we have caused others. One can ask for forgiveness by doing pratikraman. Pratikraman is a three-step process of the reversal of aggression or harm done through our thoughts, speech and actions. It includes

1) recalling our mistake (alochana),

2) asking for forgiveness, with repentance (pratikraman) and

3) asking for strength not to repeat the mistake again, with a firm determination (pratyakhyan).

This is with how we should ask for forgiveness for hurting others. However, for forgiving others, Param Pujya Dadashri says, that you should forgive others even if they harm you, as they are releasing you from your demerit karma, which you had bound in your past life. He adds that you should feel obliged to the person who is releasing you from the bondage of your demerit karma. In reality, no one has the capacity to hinder you spiritually or create obstacles on your path to salvation, because no living entity is capable, even in the remotest sense, of interfering with another living entity and this is exactly how this world is.

Param Pujya Dadashri says, “When someone insults you and you are affected by his actions, but you feel that it is a consequence of your own mistake and you continue to do pratikraman, then that is the Lord’s greatest Gnan (Knowledge). That verily will take you to liberation (moksha). If you abide by just one word or one sentence of ‘ours’ [Param Pujya Dadashri’s] it will take you to moksha.”

Hence, this understanding helps us forgive others. Param Pujya Dadashri has derived this understanding after practically applying it in His life and analysing facts and circumstances from all perspectives. Conflicts can be reduced to null or mistakes can only be cleansed if pratikraman is done with right understanding. In addition, when conflicts reduce in your life and you become free from your mistakes, you start leading a happier life – a life without conflicts!

So let us all collectively aim to remove conflicts from our lives and walk on the path of forgiveness with correct understanding, this Global Forgiveness Day. Furthermore, staying in the conscious awareness of the fact that true happiness could be sought by forgiving and being forgiven by others.