Freedom from PAIN

Many of us fail to move on in life as we do not know how to forget the past. However, deciding to forgive, whether ourselves or others, is a defining step in our spiritual growth, heralding the beginning of a new life, unfettered by the chains of the past, says Jamuna Rangachaari

- Jamuna Rangachaari

In the Bible, the Greek word that’s translated as ‘forgiveness’ is ‘aphesis.’ Its literal meaning is ‘to let go,’ as when we let go of a rope or something else we are holding on to. With forgiveness, the grip we are releasing is a mental one. We are letting go of the judgments and grievances that we are holding against a person or a community, and our beliefs about how they should have behaved.

Unforgiveness is like an unhealed raw wound that keeps hurting and smarting, long after the painful episode is over. Unlike a physical wound which heals after some time, unforgiveness is an emotional wound which festers and grows with time, often coming in the way of our normal living. It haunts our mind, dominates our thoughts, and vitiates our emotions. We become a prisoner of our past, unable to break free from the cage of painful memories. This often results in an inability to move forward to create a new life for ourselves. Furthermore, unforgiveness can also create a host of diseases, including cancer. We become bitter, angry, resentful, and even vengeful, either pitying ourselves for our misfortunes or wishing ill upon our perpetrators. Only when our sense of victimhood becomes overwhelming and we understand that unforgiveness is obstructing us from living fully and is keeping us perpetually unhappy do we realise that we need to do something about it.