Why Does It Matter to Forgive?

Forgiveness isn’t always easy, especially for significant hurts. However, it is a powerful act that can empower you and put you in control of your emotions and your life. Forgiveness is a path to personal freedom and well-being. When we hold on to grudges, it affects us emotionally and physically. Studies have shown that forgiveness can improve well-being, reduce stress and strengthen relationships.

Benefits of Forgiveness

• Forgiveness Can Help You Heal
  Forgiveness can help you move away from anger and resentment before they seep into all areas of your life. By letting go of these negative emotions, you open the door to peace and emotional healing.
  
  

• Improving and Rebuilding Relationships
  Holding onto grudges can strain your relationships with others. Anger and resentment can overflow into other areas of your life, making it difficult to trust and connect with loved ones. When you practice forgiveness, you release these negative emotions, which can improve your relationships and help you build new, healthier connections.
  
  

• Positive Impacts on Health
  Forgiveness can reduce stress and improve overall well-being. By letting go of anger and resentment, you lower blood pressure, reduce anxiety, better sleep, and improve self-esteem. Overall, forgiveness has a positive impact on your physical and emotional health. A healthy body and mind can take you through difficult times.
  
  

Yet, Why Is It So Difficult to Forgive?

Forgiveness is often misunderstood. We might fear that forgiving someone means forgetting what they did or sending the message that we accepted the wrong that happened. Or maybe we feel that forgiving means we have to return to the way things were before.

However, forgiveness is not about rationalising the wrong, condoning it, or forgetting it happened. Forgiveness is about choosing to release anger, hurt, and a desire for vengeance—to release resentment's hold over us. It is a process that involves acknowledging the hurt and deciding to let go of the desire for revenge. Forgiveness allows us to lighten that load that has been weighing us down.

​In the foreword of the book Finding Forgiveness, His Holiness, the Dalai Lama wrote, “In the course of our lives we often make misguided decisions that harm ourselves or others. We do this out of ignorance. We think that a certain mode of behaviour will bring us happiness when in fact it brings us suffering. Feelings of self-righteous anger and the urge for revenge may sometimes lead us to harm others in the mistaken conviction that it will benefit us and bring us some form of happiness. Actually, it creates suffering not only for the victims of our deeds but also for us. However justified we may feel, doing others harm even in the name of revenge, severely disturbs our own peace of mind and creates conditions for our own suffering.”

How To Practice Forgiveness?

Forgiveness is a process – it takes time, patience and a willingness to work through difficult emotions. The good news is anyone can practice it. Here are some practical steps to guide you on your journey:

1. Acknowledge Your Feelings

Before you move on, it is important to acknowledge the hurt caused by the other person's actions. Ignoring or minimising your feelings only prolongs the healing process. Even in cases where it may not be possible to reach the person you want to forgive because they may have passed or moved, you can still share your feelings and experiences to express your forgiveness and heal.

You can journal about your experience and decision to forgive. You can talk to a trusted friend, a spiritual teacher, or seek professional help if necessary. Let yourself feel the anger, sadness, or betrayal, but don't let those feelings define you.

2. Understanding the Why

Trying to see things from the other person's perspective doesn't mean excusing their behaviour. Maybe they were going through a tough time or made a mistake. Understanding their motivations doesn't erase the hurt but can help you detach from the anger and see the situation in a new light.

3. Release the Need for Revenge

Clinging to revenge fantasies might feel satisfying in the moment, but ultimately, they keep you stuck in the past. Forgiveness isn't about letting someone off the hook; it's about letting go of the desire to punish them.

4. Practice Self-Compassion

As you’re going through the process of forgiveness, be kind to yourself. Acknowledge that being hurt is a normal human experience. Forgive yourself for any part you played in the situation and focus on self-care practices that promote healing, like meditation or spending time in nature.

5. Set Boundaries (If Needed)

Forgiveness doesn't mean reconciliation. If the person who hurt you continues to be toxic, it's perfectly okay to establish boundaries or even not contacting the person temporarily. Protecting your well-being is your top priority!

As practising Bodhisattvas, we should not give up on any sentient being. When the time and condition changes, this situation may change, and you will have better clarity on how to deal with the person.

6. Find the Lesson and Move On

Sometimes, painful experiences can teach us valuable lessons about ourselves and the world around us. For instance, in the case of an unfaithful relationship – it may have been an incredibly painful experience of betrayal at first. However, after the initial pain, you realise the relationship wasn't working out anyway. While it was wrong for them to have been unfaithful, it opened your eyes to the problems in the relationship. Reflecting on what happened and understanding the root cause can help you process emotions and see things more clearly. Use that to move forward with greater wisdom.

Conclusion

Forgiveness is not easy, especially when you’ve been hurt badly by someone dear to you. So it is natural to, at times, feel that forgiveness is impossible and that’s perfectly okay. There is no pressure to rush into forgiving someone. Forgive only when you are ready. What’s more important is to keep moving in the direction of letting go. Forgiveness is a marathon, not a sprint. It is a journey that takes time and effort, but the rewards are great. Be patient with yourself, celebrate your progress, and know that with each step forward, you're choosing to heal and move on to a brighter future.

Remember, forgiveness is not about condoning the hurtful actions but about freeing yourself from the burdens of anger and resentment. Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself, a choice you make for your own peace of mind.