True forgiveness

If you want joy in your life, you must forgive all that creates unrest in your mind. For the price of unforgiveness is fear.

Forgiveness is one of the most misunderstood concepts in the world. The form of forgiveness defined by the world does not release a single frustration—it merely reinforces them.

The foundation of true forgiveness is that no one is guilty, for all are you, and when you judge another, you judge yourself.

The foundation of the world's forgiveness is that all are guilty, for they have done something against you, and they must forever be held in that guilt.

We say we forgive, but in reality we merely reinforce our judgment of the other.

What is forgiveness in the world?

When we forgive in the world, forgiveness carries a series of implicit premises that we automatically accept when we forgive, or when we allow ourselves to be forgiven.

The first premise is that guilt is real. When you accept another's guilt, you also make guilt true for yourself, for what you give to another, you can also experience yourself. In this way, you automatically accept guilt as real.

The second premise is that separation is true. What you give, you give to yourself, and therefore it is yourself you judge. Everything you perceive in the world is a mirror of yourself, and when you judge what you see in your mirror, you judge yourself. But by judging the other, you overlook the mirror and make separation true.

The third premise is that you are above the other. You thereby confirm that some are more loved than others, and that some are worth more than others.

The fourth premise is that you are not responsible for your own perception. You make them responsible for the way you perceive them. Thus you also say that it is true that you can be a victim of others, and that you are not responsible for what you perceive.

The fifth premise is that what you see in the world is real. All perception is experience, and when you see perception as truth, you have made illusion into reality.

Every single time you forgive another based on the world's understanding of forgiveness, you make these premises true, for if just one of them is not true, then the world's understanding of forgiveness makes no sense.

• Forgiveness of another makes no sense if guilt does not exist.

• Forgiveness of another makes no sense if we are all one.

• Forgiveness of another makes no sense if the other is actually yourself.

• Forgiveness of another makes no sense if only you are responsible for your perception.

• Forgiveness of another makes no sense if the experience is not true.

So if you still think that the world's way of forgiving makes sense, then you must disagree with me on all these points.

True Forgiveness

True forgiveness is never about the other—it is only about yourself. True forgiveness sets you free from your judgments and releases all the frustrations in your mind that prevent you from experiencing peace. True forgiveness is a choice for peace and joy, and a rejection of war.

When you apply true forgiveness, you make another set of premises true for yourself.

You acknowledge the other's innocence. And thereby also your own. For as you see others, you see yourself. And if everything is a mirror of you, then it is your own innocence you see.

You acknowledge that it is your own perception that must be forgiven. And thereby, that everything you experience is seen through your perception, and therefore must also be corrected there. Forgiveness is always correction of your perception. It is always something you do within yourself.

You acknowledge that all are one, and that none can be more or less than others. For only through your judgments can others be perceived as separate from you, and with your acknowledgment of oneness, your perception will also change.

You take responsibility for your own perception, instead of projecting it onto another. You understand that your perception is your own, and that others cannot be responsible for what you perceive.

You understand that your experience is not your truth. And thereby you open your mind to truth.

Forgiveness is never about the other—it is only about yourself. There is never anyone to forgive, for forgiveness is always a correction of your own perception.

If everything is a mirror of you, then it makes no sense to change anything in the world whatsoever, for it makes no sense to try to change a reflection.

If you want to experience a different reflection, you must change what is reflected, and that can always only be yourself. When you change your perception, the reflection also changes.

True forgiveness is the way to change the reflection, while the world's understanding of forgiveness maintains the old image.

How does one forgive?

To forgive is to look beyond. You simply consciously choose to look beyond what you would previously judge. In this way, nothing unreal is made real, and the world's forgiveness no longer has any foundation. You must withdraw your judgments, and thereby let go of your negative perception.

But to look beyond something you believe is real makes no sense, and it therefore requires that you understand that the only one you judge is yourself, and what you see in the other is actually within yourself.

But that understanding requires that you have released the idea of separation, and that you automatically see everything as a mirror of yourself. And perhaps you are not there yet.

But all correction in the mind comes through self-recognition, and perhaps you can already now see that you have perceived forgiveness wrongly, and perhaps you are ready to work with releasing your old perception. Perhaps you are ready to see it in another way.

See everyone as yourself

If you are ready to work with your perception, and thereby also with true forgiveness, then begin from now on to see everyone as yourself. When you judge another, imagine that it was yourself who had done it.

How would you judge if it were yourself? Perhaps you would be more ready to see it as a mistake instead of a sin, and perhaps you would be more merciful in your judgment. And perhaps you would be more willing to forgive.

The Bible helps us along the way here with the golden rule:

"Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them." (Matthew 7:12)

By using the golden rule, your mind will soften, and the less you judge others, the more peace you will experience in your life.

abuse

But it is also important to understand that the golden rule must also be used in reverse. For if others do something to you that you would not do to them, then they have crossed your boundaries, and then it is a matter of abuse, and then it is necessary that you speak up and remove yourself from the situation.

But forgiveness must come afterward, not to downplay the abuse, but to release the marks it would otherwise leave in your mind.

You must never submit to abuse. But you must understand that even the worst experiences require forgiveness in your mind, so that you yourself can be set free from them. Without forgiveness, you become a victim, and you will carry the abuse as a cross.