Submitted by Sue-Marie on Mon, 03/03/2008 - 1:54pm.
First, I loved your beautiful day post. Several people wrote about seeing every day as beautiful rather than having just one beautiful day. This is a great strategy for living a full life, I believe. Life has its ups and downs, but I'm pretty glad to be here regardless of the circumstances. I don't think any of my suffering is significant anyway, compared to so many people in the world.
As for forgiveness, you ask why it is so hard to forgive. Good question. I was just reviewing an essay by a classmate from another class who wrote on hospice-style work. She wrote that she noticed people dying of cancer were always hanging onto some hurt from the past. I've heard new age people say heart disease comes from withheld love and cancer comes from withheld anger. The essay sort of gave me the willies. It made me think what I might still be holding onto. I don't believe all heart disease or all cancer is caused by our emotions, but clearly there is a mind/body link. Forgiveness is ultimately the greatest gift we can give to ourselves.
One thing that really impresses me: I heard that the number one concern for Tibetans who are in prison by the occupying Maoists Chinese is that they not lose compassion for their captors. I am so inspired by the ability many Tibetans have to forgive, even after being beaten and tortured, even after being confined for years. This doesn't mean to be a door mat, it means to not let the negative aspects of life hijack our minds, because then we've lost everything.
First, I loved your beautiful day post. Several people wrote about seeing every day as beautiful rather than having just one beautiful day. This is a great strategy for living a full life, I believe. Life has its ups and downs, but I'm pretty glad to be here regardless of the circumstances. I don't think any of my suffering is significant anyway, compared to so many people in the world.
As for forgiveness, you ask why it is so hard to forgive. Good question. I was just reviewing an essay by a classmate from another class who wrote on hospice-style work. She wrote that she noticed people dying of cancer were always hanging onto some hurt from the past. I've heard new age people say heart disease comes from withheld love and cancer comes from withheld anger. The essay sort of gave me the willies. It made me think what I might still be holding onto. I don't believe all heart disease or all cancer is caused by our emotions, but clearly there is a mind/body link. Forgiveness is ultimately the greatest gift we can give to ourselves.
One thing that really impresses me: I heard that the number one concern for Tibetans who are in prison by the occupying Maoists Chinese is that they not lose compassion for their captors. I am so inspired by the ability many Tibetans have to forgive, even after being beaten and tortured, even after being confined for years. This doesn't mean to be a door mat, it means to not let the negative aspects of life hijack our minds, because then we've lost everything.