Forgiveness versus Justice

One should forgive and forget. Generally, we don't forget. We say, "Oh I don't mind," but that poison goes on working in our mind. That affects, sooner or later. So whenever anybody hurts your feelings in word or deed, forgive. Forgiveness is the only sweet water that will wash away all dirt. Justice won't do it, mind that! If you want justice, then that will react. Forgiveness only washes away all dirt. Forgive and forget, this is the way to Spirituality.

If someone makes a mistake, forgive him. But people prefer justice to forgiveness. Remember this, that with justice, the heart is never cleansed.

Sant Kirpal Singh

 

Sant Kirpal Singh and the pickpocket

I will give an example from my own experience. My wife was once travelling home by train, and I went to meet her at the railway station. As soon as she stepped on the train, and before I had even approached her, a pickpocket stole her purse and ran off. As it happened, a wide-awake police constable had witnessed the incident, quickly caught the man and returned the purse to my wife. With a firm grip on the thief, the policeman turned to me and said, "You must also come along to the police station." I pointed out to him that as we had recovered the purse, we were quite satisfied, but he protested and said, "This sort of thing is happening frequently, you must come and make a charge." I went along to the police station and sat there for more than an hour without anything being done. I told the inspector, "I am not concerned with this, you can also keep the purse – I am going." He took my statement at once, and eventually I had to go to court. It was the first time I had ever stepped into a courtroom. While waiting for the proceedings to start, the inspector remarked to me, "Justice must be done." I told him, "Brother, along with justice, there should also be compassion; both should go side by side. With justice the heart remains affected, but compassion washes away all impurities." When the judge had heard the case, I said, "Your honor, if you can find a way of releasing this man, I have no objection." The judge was surprised, but he asked the police about the man's previous record, and was told that no charges were recorded against him. The judge agreed to let him go with a good warning and he was released. That man returned to his family with a happy heart; he went around telling people, "If he had not saved me, I would now be in prison."

Outwardly a person may be emphatic that he forgives; but in his heart he wants to strike out at the offender and cut the very roots of him. If you have no compassion in the mind, how can you honestly say you forgive? God is love, and as a part of Him, the soul's innate nature is also love.

 

Question: Must we forgive all who have wronged us before we die in order to progress on the higher planes after death?

Sant Kirpal Singh: We should learn to forgive and forget which is a golden principle of life for attaining peace and harmony so very much helpful for having a calm and contemplative mood, which in turn will bless us with successful meditations. He who forgives is twice blessed. Taking revenge is cowardice, but forgiving the lapses of others is an act of virtuous nobility. The initiates are  advised to take the stock of their karma every day before retiring to see whether during the course of their working day, they have incurred anybody's displeasure or have wronged anybody. If so, they should repent and pray for Divine grace. Similarly, if others have in one way or the other done any harm to them, that should be forgiven in the name of the Master. There is a very good example in Bible, where it is said that before one stands for prayer, he should forgive the lapses or shortcomings of his brother who has wronged him, so that the Father in heaven may condone his shortcomings. Evidently we must inculcate such a sense of forgiveness by daily practice. We must forgive all who have wronged us before we depart from this earth-plane, which will be helpful for our soul's progress on the inner planes.

 

Now do you understand what grace is? Out of grace you are all forgiven. With Avatars there is no grace. Hafiz says, ultimately at the end, he came to know that the kingdom of the Saints is of forgiveness.

 

 

There are two forces in the world: one is justice, the other is forgiveness. The justice is a good thing in the world. But what the forgiveness can work in the world, the justice cannot do. To err is human, and to forget something from a man is not a big thing. If the punishment is the only solution to the sinner always, the sin and the sinner cannot finish in the world.

You cannot wash the blood through blood, if we demand justice, justice gives the punishment of the sin done. The sinner surrenders to the punishment. But from within, he develops hate for the one who made him punish through justice. During punishment his tendency of hate develops more and continues to be more strong to revenge. And whenever he meets or comes across the person concerned, he radiates the thoughts of revenge.

Never hurt anybody. We hurt others by thinking ill of them. We think ill of others, we scheme. This is wrong, as thoughts are very potent. When you think ill of others that reacts to them like a telegraphic wire. You may not be telling anybody anything but if you think of them, radiation is there.

From the book "Morning Talks", written by Sant Kirpal Singh
Talk available as (5Mb, duration 16:06) at audio.sant-kirpal-singh.org

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