Q: How to get forgiveness from a person whom I hurt out of some bad will, deliberately, but now really feel sorry and want forgiveness? If forgiveness is granted by the Divine, then can it also be taken as forgiveness from the person?
ALOKDA:
Forgiveness from the person is really not necessary as long as one seeks it from the Divine. Forgiveness from the person serves the purpose of satisfying oneself and also cutting off the bad will that may have been generated in the person due to our thoughts and deeds.
But the real harm we do through our bad will is towards the Divine Work that is going on in everyone. We contradict the Divine Will when we think ill of someone because the Divine is labouring ceaselessly to bring peace, harmony, love and beauty in this world.
Besides by harbouring hate and jealousies we repel the Divine Presence in us and put an extra thick veil which sometimes needs a great blow to be removed.
What would help us and help the person as well as the Divine Work is not forgiveness (which is often just a word with little truth in it) but to do these four things:
1) Recognise our error in harbouring, nurturing and throwing ill will on others.
2) Never to justify it under any pretext. No one else but we are responsible for what we do and how we react .
3) See things as they are and not as the trickster mind and emotions make them seem. Look for the inner causes within us which is generally rooted in the ego, selfishness and pettiness of nature combined with a lack of generosity and kindness.
4) Offer this part of one’s nature and aspire persistently for it to change.
As a preventive for future one should practice the Buddhist and the Raj Yogic way of substituting wrong responses with the right ones. For example replace consciously feelings of hate with love, jealousy with generosity, anger with kindness etc.
This becomes easier if we understand that everyone has their difficulties which are part of human nature in its present stage of imperfection. And yet everyone has the Divine Presence within them and some divine quality that should be our main point of contact while ignoring the others.
