The "F" word

Lake Louise, Canada (2019)

'How to let go of anger and resentment?'

I recently stumbled upon this question while randomly browsing an online forum. The person mentioned that years ago someone made up a rumour about him/her and to this day he/she is still in a lot of pain about it.

"Use the 'F' word: Forgiveness", I said.

The power of forgiveness cannot be emphasized enough.

In this post I will briefly share some practical info on why and how to forgive. The mental understanding of the reasons one should practice forgiveness, allied with the practice of the proper technique make an amazing combination one can use to develop long-lasting inner peace and healing on multiple levels.

Why to forgive?

It is widely acknowledged by healthcare practitioners of today that emotions play a big part in physical health, even though most of the practitioners themselves do not fully understand the mechanism behind it.

From the energetic standpoint, Master Choa Kok Sui explains that negative emotions such as anger, resentment, or hatred congest and overactivate the solar plexus chakra, which in the long run may manifest as heart conditions, kidney failure or even cancer.

The question, then, is how does one heal from these negative emotions?

It is not rare to find people that believe that the answer lies in seeking revenge, in getting even with those who caused them pain. Such people tend to think that the act of forgiveness is a sign of weakness, of passively accepting to be a "doormat". Vindictiveness, however, does not eliminate one's negative emotions. On the contrary, it only makes them stronger.

Forgiveness is the key to letting go of these negative emotions and, contrary to what some may think, it takes a great deal of maturity and inner strength to be able to do it.

"Forgiveness is not a matter of who is right or wrong. It is a matter of doing the right thing."

-- Master Choa Kok Sui, Experiencing Being

Taking a step further, from a spiritual perspective the practice of forgiveness is deeply connected to the understanding of the Law of Karma. This universal law states that whatever one sows, one will reap (more on my understanding of it in the post It is in giving that we receive).

An implication of this law is that if one wants to be forgiven, so they shall forgive.

On a higher level of comprehension, as there exists no consequence without a cause, one is only entitled to be hurt today because they caused a comparable amount of pain to others in the past. This means that whoever is causing them pain is but an instrument of the universe to give them an opportunity to learn their lessons and pay for their own karmic debts. It becomes clear then that the proper attitude is to simply learn whichever lessons are there to be learned, forgive and let go.

In summary, by being vindictive not only is one strengthening their own negative emotions, but also they are planting more seeds of pain and suffering - which they will inevitably reap in the future. With the practice of forgiveness, however, one is giving themselves a chance to cultivate inner peace and improve their own health on multiple levels: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. What else do you want?

"Although Pranic Healing does greatly improve the condition of the patient, the rate of healing would be much faster if the patient continuously exerts an effort to forgive those who may have actually or imaginarily hurt him or her."

-- Master Choa Kok Sui, Advanced Pranic Healing

How to forgive?

One of the first points people bring up when confronted with the subject of forgiveness is the concern that if they forgive there will be no justice and the offender will not learn their lesson. That's a really valid point. Enter the difference between inner forgiveness and outer forgiveness.

As Master Choa explains, inner forgiveness comes from the compassionate understanding that nobody is perfect, everybody is evolving, and evolution inevitably involves mistakes. With that in mind, one must always internally forgive, meaning they will learn to let go of the past and go on living.

There are cases, however, in which the mistake is too severe and the offender cannot be externally forgiven. They may need to be brought to justice, punished or even isolated from society to maintain order and avoid chaos. So while inner forgiveness is for all people, outer forgiveness should be done on a case-by-case basis.

Still, I emphasize the importance of keeping vindictiveness out of the equation when pursuing justice, so to use the appropriate punishing mechanism and intensity. With vindictiveness it's probable that one will end up using an excessive amount of force and cruelty to punish the offender, therefore planting more negative karmic seeds for themselves while certainly not letting go of any of their harmful negative emotions.

Another point many people bring up is regarding the need of forgiving the person face to face, which is not always practical or even possible, for instance in cases where the perpetrator has already passed away. The good news is that this is not actually necessary. Inner forgiveness should be practiced systematically, over and over again as a meditation. With time and regular practice negative emotions gradually disintegrate and a sense of long-lasting inner peace starts to grow.

The technique shared by Master Choa Kok Sui is quite simple and extremely powerful. First imagine the person you need to forgive in front of you and verbally and respectfully greet them. Acknowledge their divinity and, with intention, address them not as a physical being, but as the soul. Say:

"I, the soul, salute the divinity in you.

We are all children of God, we are all evolving; evolution involves time, process and lots of mistakes. I've had my share of mistakes and learned from them, so can you.

You are completely forgiven for each and every time you caused me pain, intentionally or unintentionally.

I also humbly ask for your forgiveness for however way I may have hurt you. Thank you for your forgiveness.

May you be blessed with inner peace, inner healing, the inner strength to do what is right and to refrain from unwholesome actions and behaviors. May you learn from your mistakes and spiritually grow.

Go in peace, I release you!"

After that, move your arm in front of you from top to bottom, with the intention of using the side of your hand to cut the energy link between you and the other person. With that, you are done with one set.

How was it? You may want to do multiple sets during a session, multiple sessions in one day, and continue the practice for several days, months, or for as long as it is necessary. As usual, you should experiment with the technique and then make your own conclusions.

I hope the ideas shared in this post help you with developing inner peace and healing on multiple levels. Regardless of the issues you may be going through, I will always encourage you to practice inner forgiveness.

Master Stephen Co has published videos in which he guides the technique step-by-step, making it very easy to follow. There's a short, ~3 minute version promptly available, and if you create a free account on his website you gain access to a longer and more intense version of the practice.

Here's the link to the online videos: pranichealing.com/forgiveness

I finish by sharing a great quote I learned recently, made popular by Mr. Fred Rogers: "There is one thing that evil cannot stand, and that's forgiveness."

- Eduardo Sztokbant