Sat Nam Dear Family,
There are ladders and steps, Moguls and Mongols (metaphorically), all sorts of challenges on the path of ascendance. There are also great rewards. One or the other usually stops us, stops us from ascending further. Consciously or unconsciously, we reached our limit. All of us learn to live within these limitations.
Students either live in denial, deflection, or deliverance of their challenges, that’s normal. What’s normal, but shouldn’t be, is the distribution of the three d’s. Denial and deflection represent almost all of humanity. Few, very few overcome the Moguls and Mongols which slam the gate of spirituality shut. Very, very few fall into the deliverance category.
Help is on the way. The best way to avoid all the pitfalls inherent in spiritually is forgiveness. All challenges lead to building character well enough to accept and practice forgiveness. When I say forgiveness, I mean real forgiveness. The forgiveness of your enemy, terrible enemies; forgiveness of yourself; forgiveness of right and wrong. Well, I didn’t say it would be easy, but it’s the most worthwhile thing you can ever do.
Why not just work on one character flaw rather than the thousands of others? Because this one is a thousand times harder. Nevertheless, practicing forgiveness saves so much time - even many, many lifetimes! How can a person who this world rejects so much (you can fill in the sordid details to your liking, I mean disliking), be forgiven? Most think that they shouldn’t be forgiveness because it’s part of the punishment process for being so bad.
On the other hand, the soul of the transgressor is your soul. It’s God’s soul. How can the soul of God be hated? It can’t and shouldn’t. However, the horrendous actions or thoughts of a transgressor’s soul can be and should be condemned and punished. This is necessary for an orderly and just society here on planet earth. Nevertheless, the soul, all souls, are that of God Himself. They’re to be worshiped, not condemned. Why? How? What!!
Can you separate the two, the actions from the person, the mind from the soul? Have you tried? Or, is it just not in your nature.
Judgement is the killer of forgiveness. The easiest way to attack forgiveness is to reduce judgement. Once judgement is overcome to God’s satisfaction, forgiveness becomes easy. Now, you can use God to help in the process. That’s very wise of you. God does and will meet you halfway in any effort for good or bad. Please remember, God doesn’t judge, period. The secret is to do your half of the work as if you're doing it all and don’t you judge when God’s help should kick-in.
"Judgement is mine," sayeth the Lord. This is what the Bible says. I’d change this slightly to read, “Do what God likes and wants and you’ll please Him.” How many people take this seriously? Not many. That’s why the d’s are so skewed in one direction. Watch yourself. Watch what you say. More importantly, watch what you think. Watch everything you do, say and think. This is how judgement is overcome in the shortest time in this pursuit for God’s grace.
Watch to separate what you and others think, feel, and do from the recognition that they are different from the soul. Separate them, see them as separate but equal. In other words, you are your soul, and you’re responsible for all else. You are separate but equal under the banner of Identity and responsibility, heavens and earth, Creator and creation. Therefore, God comes in coats of many colors- sometimes primal and sometimes pastel. That’s God’s issue, don’t make it yours. Don’t judge it, period!
Most think there is no need for forgiveness. This is not true. Forgiveness is beyond judgement. No reason is necessary to forgive the soul of another, and leave any prerequisites, like apology or acknowledgement, aside. Recognize that all souls merge at some point, all actions do not. Our beloved Guru ji, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, you name it, all call for forgiveness. Forgiveness is a Universal truth held in the highest esteem by all religions, lifestyles, philosophies. Forgiveness is the truth. Forgiveness is Godly.
Without being forgiven, none of us would ever advance spiritually. So many things have been poorly misunderstood, misrepresented, mis-acted by us that only God can and could forgive our ‘misses.’ We’re rarely aware of the preponderance of ‘miss’ this or ‘miss’ that which haunt us. As this painful awareness becomes conscious, we must forgive ourselves or we will be riddled with guilt to the detriment of any further ascension. Awareness is good, but it must have an exhaust, otherwise it will asphyxiate you.
Forgiveness allows the student to unload all the guilt (poison) through our human exhaust pipe called forgiveness. Forgiveness begins at home. If you can’t forgive yourself, how can you forgive others? Therefore, forgiveness is golden. Forgiveness is the key to a clogged exhaust pipe. It’s freeing, it’s relaxing, it’s real. Try it, you’ll like it. I’ll share again on this blessed topic at a later date. Forgiveness is really the mother lode of spiritual diamonds. Stay tuned.
In the Humility of Service and Gratitude,
MSS Hari Jiwan Singh Khalsa, Chief of Protocol
Custodian General of Sikh Dharma
Sangat Representative
